Darkness
by Brainlock
Summary: Sequel to "Vigil" and "Visiting Ours". All stories begin with "Once upon a time...", but what will Matt Parkman sacrifice to keep his "Happily Ever After"?
1. Chapter 1

HEROES : Darkness Falls

Disclaimer: I own NUTTINK!

Characters: Clans Parkman and Petrelli and cohorts

Setting: following the events of "Visiting Ours"

* * *

He was on his knees, unable to rise and face the man calling for his blood. The thought crossed his mind that he could have what leaked from various wounds on his body. heh. "Please," he gasped, "I know you don't want to hurt us! I lo--" Matt never finished his thought as the pain swept through his body once more and the darkness enveloped him.

* * *

Matt Parkman started curtailing his activities as Director of PrimaTech now that he had two more reasons to stay home. Daphne didn't say anything for a few weeks, as she wanted him to bond with his long-lost son, Matthew.

He would spend the morning at the office, then return home at lunch (or as soon as he could get away), to spend the afternoon with his three sons. He even got the bright idea that he and the boys could revive his old band, "Parkman Fever", from his youth. Daniel and Joshua immediately took to the guitars, while Matthew found himself relegated to keyboards when Rabbi Blumenfeld mentioned he had taken piano lessons growing up. Matt, of course, picked up the sticks again. Daphne occasionally sat in on tambourine, but that was mostly when Mohinder couldn't make it due to some 'crisis' in the lab.

Matt had long since noticed that the twins seemed to be in synch with each other, more often than not, and this helped them learn their guitar lessons faster. He wondered to his wife and Suresh if they would continue to develop like that.

Matthew, on the other hand, tolerated the experiment, but eventually gave up, claiming he didn't like the style of music they were practicing. When Matt inquired further, he was pushed away emotionally and mentally.

Meanwhile, Micah had transferred out to LA to be with Molly and found himself taking Matthew's place as the group's keyboardist. Matthew was even less happy to find this out, when he stumbled upon the group practicing in the basement one night. Matt tried to talk to him, but he was rebuffed yet again.

When the summer ended, the boys had trouble keeping up with their schoolwork, as they preferred to jam instead. Matt put his foot down and informed them that school came first, and threatened to sell the guitars if their grades didn't improve. He decided that they would only practice on the weekends, but then the boys' schedules filled up quickly and the "Parkman Fever" band died a quiet death, yet again.

With the boys back in school, Matt found himself with less to do around the house in the afternoons that didn't involve annoying the hell out of Daphne, so he went back to the office full time.

The next few months, Matthew grew colder and more distant. Matt kept trying to inquire, but to no avail. Even Rabbi couldn't get him to talk.

At Thanksgiving dinner, Matt made it a point to say he was thankful for having Matthew back in his life. The teen merely glared at him, barely took a handful of bites, then stormed off to his room.

As the holidays rolled around, Matt and Daphne tried to incorporate their usual traditions with the classic Chanukah ones Matt had remembered from his youth, with some assistance from Blumenfeld, of course. It was another attempt to make Matthew feel part of the family, but he turned his nose up at this, too.

All three of his guardians sat him down and demanded to know the problem. Matt promised him he wouldn't read his mind, and they just wanted to help. Matthew ignored them before stomping off to his room once more.

Matt was beside himself at this. Blumenfeld claimed he had never acted like this while he was growing up, and was also at a loss for words as to why his behavior had changed.

Daphne decided to take the rabbi home and Matt knocked on his son's door once again. "Matthew, please," he begged. "Whatever's wrong, we want to help. We just...we don't know what to do. Please, son."

Silence.

Matt sent a thought of love and warmth in the room, but found himself receiving feedback in return. He sighed and went to his own room, flopped down on the bed, and was asleep before he knew it.

"_I HATE YOU!"_

Matt woke with a start, tensing up as the teen threw himself at his father. They struggled on the bed, wrestling for dominance.

"I hate you! I hate you! _I hate you!!_" the boy screamed.

Matt finally managed to grab him in a bear hug and found the strength of his son nearly matched his own as he tried to settle the boy down. Matt grabbed and crossed his son's wrists against his chest, but the boy still flailed, throwing his head back, nearly missing his father's nose several times as his feet tried smashing his father's toes.

He finally collapsed in a heap of sobs and Matt hugged him tight, unsure if it was a ploy or if he had finally broken through.

When it appeared that Matthew had settled down, Matt whispered to him, "Do you want to talk now?"

"That's all you ever do is talk!" Matthew protested.

"I'm not going to fight you, son," he soothed. "Tell me what's wrong. Let me know if I can help."

"It's the voices! They won't shut up!"

Matt was stunned. "Voices? Who's talking? Is it just us or what? Who are you hearing?" Matt vaguely remembered Niki, and how her psyche had fractured into multiple personalities. He didn't realize this the first time they met, only later at Kirby Plaza. He hoped this wasn't what was happening.

"No, not like Niki. Everyone," the boy answered grimly. "I hear every one of you. Every single thought that goes through your heads. Every image. You! Daphne! the twins! Molly! Rabbi! the neighbors! people at school! People you work with and people on the street. Every single one of you!"

Matt stammered. "Y-you can't turn it off? Is that it?" he remembered when his powers manifested and how he had collapsed several times from the onslaught.

"That doesn't compare. Not even close."

Great. What do I do, now? Matt thought at his revelation. No other telepath had come close to his level, and now, his son had become an omnipath, hearing every thought in the vicinity. Mohinder had theorized--

"Mohinder doesn't know _shit_."

Matt took the boy's shoulders, stared him in the eye. "Mohinder is your uncle, and you _will_ treat him with respect, young man!" Matt fought the anger and fear down. "If anyone knows how to help, he's the one who can."

"No, he can't," Matthew replied, coldly. "I already asked. He had no clue, so I wiped it from his mind. That's not all he thinks about." He gave his father a disgusted look.

"You _WHAT_?" Matt was furious. "Matthew, you don't ever, _EVER_ do that! Do you hear me? You can't invade minds and make people forget things! That's so wrong on so many levels that--"

"I told you my problem before," he replied, looking his father in the eye. "Three times, now." A dark smile spread across his face. "I made you all forget."

The words and smile made Matt's heart go cold.

"I've told you three times, but you couldn't help," he explained, pulling away from his father's grip. "You couldn't help because you don't know how to handle your own power. You keep locking it down, frightened of it, denying it's very existence. You can't handle _your_ power, how do expect to handle _mine?_"

Matt sat there, dumbfounded at this revelation. This accusation. Before he could think of an answer, Matthew slugged him. Matt tumbled back on the bed, lost his balance and slid off to the floor.

"You won't even remember this time," he heard as the darkness washed over him.

* * *

"What happened to _you_?"

Matt looked up from the floor to see Daphne standing over him. Where was he? "How did I get down here?"

"You got me, but that's a nice bruise there, Matt," she said, touching his left cheekbone as he sat up.

Matt winced. "ow! Stop!" he batted her hand away and went to the bathroom to see for himself. "I guess I rolled off the bed in my sleep?" he offered, checking the scrape in the mirror. He turned to look at her. "Rug burn?"

"Yeah, you wish, cowboy," she teased. She leaned up and kissed the wound. He winced again. "Looks like you had a bad dream, the way the covers are messed up."

He glanced around the doorway to see what the bedding looked like. Ow. He realized his neck was a bit sore, too, but shrugged it off as part of his falling and sleeping on it.

Matt had no other explanation for it and forgot about it.

When New Year's Eve came, he tried to coax Matthew into at least watching the ball drop with them. He gloomily sat on the stairs to appease them before heading straight back up as they began cheering. Matt noticed right away, and Daphne saw the sad look when he turned to see empty stairs.

As she tucked the twins in, he once again pleaded at the door. "Matthew, don't start the new year off like this. Let us help. Please, son. Tell me what's wrong!"

Daphne came out of the twin's room, gave Matt a half-hearted hug and proceeded to their bedroom. He stood there against the door for another ten minutes before he gave up.

Matt sat on his bed, staring down the hallway. He shrugged off Daphne when she tried to coax him under the covers. He finally gave up after another twenty minutes, closed the door, and climbed in bed beside his very pregnant wife.

"I don't know what to do, anymore, Daph," he moaned.

The next month was a flurry of activity, as Matt finally got down to redecorating the two spare rooms downstairs for the boys. The twins initially insisted on having their own rooms, but then balked after they realized one bedroom was larger than the other and decided they would share.

Matt asked Matthew if he wanted to stay upstairs with them and the baby, or move downstairs with his brothers. He didn't answer, but Matt came home from work one day to find that Matthew had already moved his things into the smaller bedroom. Daphne hadn't noticed when it occurred, but the twins were exhausted at dinner that night.

"So, are you boys getting along down there alright?" Matt inquired of them.

"Yeah, we didn't know moving was so exhausting, though," Daniel answered between bites.

"It was like we were moving twice the stuff," Joshua complained.

"Oh really?" Matt asked, while throwing a glance at his eldest. Matthew huffed and left the table. Matt and Daphne glared at each other. "I'll talk to him after dinner," he sighed.

Matt knocked on his eldest's new door. "You want desert?"

Silence.

Matt expected that. "You didn't, uh, by any chance, make your brothers move your stuff, too, while they were busy moving theirs, did you?"

To Matt's surprise, the door opened and Matthew stuck his head out. "Go. Away."

Matt stuck his foot in the doorway. "No."

The teen glared at him. "Leave me alone."

"No, Matthew, I won't."

"Get out of here!"

Matt felt a mental push. Surely he wasn't--?

"Get out!"

Matt pushed back. "I can't, Matthew! Not until you tell me what's going on with you!"

Before he knew it, his son physically shoved him, knocking him off balance. He barely caught the doorjamb as he stumbled back. "Matthew!"

SLAM!

Matt narrowly avoided losing a finger in the door. He tried the handle, but it was already locked. He sighed and leaned against the door. "Matthew, _please!_ Please tell me what's wrong!"

Half an hour later, Matt slumped into the kitchen chair. Daphne came up behind him and rubbed his shoulders. "Do you think we should call somebody?"

"Who are we going to call, Daph? We're supposed to be the top specialists in dealing with powers. I can't even deal with my own son!" he groused, laying his head on her belly.

The next few weeks flew by, with an occasional false alarm from Daphne as her due date drew nearer. Matt asked Mohinder, Peter, Nathan, and even Sanjog for help, but none of them could offer any advice outside of patience with his teenaged son. Why couldn't he be a nice teen like Molly had been? She rarely drove him, Daphne, or Mohinder up the walls during her teen years, he sighed. It didn't help that he was also distracted by the impending arrival of another child.

* * *

Diana Ruth Parkman was born February 1, 2021. She was the apple of her father's eye from the moment she was born. They had decided against "Daniella", so as not to upset Daniel. They already had one kid sulking around the house, why add another? Diana was close enough for Matt, even if Daphne hadn't insisted it was for the better. She even offered up Ruth as a middle name. Matt's only answer was "Marry me?" She laughed him off as he deluged her with kisses.

The twins adored her right away, as did the rest of her extended family (who tried to keep the parade of visitors to a minimum). Molly started calling her "Mouse" from first sight. (Daphne still didn't get it.) Matthew barely took a glance at her and gave his father a dark scowl.

Matt and Daphne tried to keep the changes to a minimum, with Matt making an effort to spend time with the boys as often as he could. For Matthew, he often wound up sitting outside the teen's door, finishing up his work on his laptop.

Many a night, Daphne came down to find he had dozed off against the door. She finally insisted on a beanbag chair for him to sit his vigils in, since he liked retro so much.

Matt still insisted he didn't remember dozing off. He was rarely tired. He knew he was working on reports, then Daphne was waking him up. Daphne tried brushing it off, but it kept happening. Even the twins were at a loss, considering they were often watching TV or playing video games on the other side of the room when this happened.

Matt was getting worried. He asked Mohinder for a full check-up. He couldn't find anything wrong.

"Could these 'blackouts' be an effect of another power, like the Haitian's?" he asked Suresh as they went over the results in the doctor's office.

"It's possible, but it's also possible that your own power may be causing this," he replied. "Have you noticed any nosebleeds or other physical evidence?"

"No, just a sore back from being hunched over all evening in a bean bag."

Mohinder gave him a strange look. "Bean bag?"

Matt shrugged. "Daphne insisted I sit in something while sitting outside Matthew's room, so she bought me a bean bag chair."

"Tell me again why you're sitting outside Matthew's room every night?"

"I told you, he won't come to us with whatever's bothering him, so I'm going to sit there until he does."

Mohinder was puzzled. "When did you tell me this, Matt?"

Matt looked his friend square in the eye. "Just about every time I complained about my eldest since the boys moved downstairs?"

"I'm sorry, Matt," he apologized. "I just don't recall those conversations."

Matt's jaw dropped. "What the hell, Professor? I talk to you about my family all the time!"

Mohinder was getting nervous, now. "Matthew, seriously, I don't know what you're talking about!"

"How many children do I have, Mohinder?"

"Well, I--that is," he stammered. Matt glared at him. "four?"

Four? Someone was missing. "Name them."

"Molly, of course," he started. Matt nodded and waved him on. "The twins, Daniel and Joshua, or Mish and Mash, according to Molly." Matt smirked and waved him on. "And, of course, Diana, the baby. 'Mouse,' I believe Molly has christened her."

Matt looked at him. "Forgetting someone?"

Mohinder gave him a confused look. "No, I don't believe so."

"What have we just been talking about? You don't remember Rabbi Blumenfeld coming in here on my birthday last summer and introducing me to my son, Matthew, who I thought died with Janice in Barstow a decade ago?!"

Mohinder's brow knotted, he started fidgeting like a lost child.

"You don't remember running a blood test on him, to make sure? The big Father's Day party at my place where I officially introduced him to everyone and told Nathan and Peter we were brothers?"

Mohinder nervously shook his head.

"Then when did you find out Daphne was pregnant? I seem to recall making that announcement the same day!"

The Indian fidgeted again before answering, "After her physical?"

Matt glared at him. "Please tell me you are joking."

"I'm sorry, Matthew, I don't know what you want me to say!" he protested. "You told us all that Janice's baby wasn't yours, it was some other man's, and that is why your marriage ended!"

"Mohinder, while it is true she cheated on me, the baby really was mine all along. We lied to everyone to protect them from the Company and the life I found myself in, not knowing if I would live one day to the next. We lied about it so much, it became truth as far as everyone else was concerned!"

Suresh stared at his friend, lost for a reply.

Matt whipped out his wallet, pointed to his family picture taken shortly at the end of the last summer. "How many people in this picture? Who are they?"

Mohinder examined the picture, then looked up at Matt. "Four--well, five if you count the fact Daphne looks to be showing. I remember you being upset that Molly was called away at the last minute."

Matt flipped the picture around to look at it. Surely it was the new one, and not from before his birthday? He saw five people. He flipped it back at Mohinder. "Look again."

"I'm sorry, Matthew, I only see four people in that picture. You and Daphne sitting and the twins kneeling in front of you two."

"There's no one standing behind me, his hand on my shoulder? Young teenager? Fourteen years old? Looks like me?"

"Are you feeling well, Matthew? Perhaps you should go home and get some rest?"

"I'm fine, Professor," Matt insisted. "Perhaps you're the one who's not feeling well? You've been awfully nervous talking to me."

"Honestly, Matthew?" Matt nodded. "I can feel you probing my mind and I don't like it one bit!"

"W-what?" he was taken aback. "What are you talking about? You know I don't mess with peoples minds! I don't eavesdrop or anything without permission! I've insisted on all telepaths following the same rule!"

"Power corrupts, my friend, and absolute power corrupts absolutely." He tried to keep his voice as level as possible, but he also had to make his point.

"Mohinder!" He was getting angry now. "You've known me for fourteen years and you know _me_! I would _never_ invade someone's mind like that!"

"Well, someone is, and if not you, then who?" He sat back in his chair and crossed his arms. If they hadn't been in his office, he would have walked out.

Matt leaned forward. Mohinder nervously moved his chair back with his feet. Matt shook his head and hit the intercom. "Molly, could you meet us in Mohinder's office, please?"

"Sure, Dad, be right there," came the reply. Matt sat back and glared at his former roommate. Molly entered and asked, "What up, doc?"

Mohinder rolled his eyes, as always, at her joke.

"Molly, how many brothers do you have?" her father inquired.

"Why?" Her father's dirty look made her grimace. "Okay, there's Mish and Mash, unless you have another one hidden away somewhere?"

"You mean the one who moved into your room last summer on my birthday?"

"Elvis?" she shrugged.

Matt held the family picture up to her. "Count."

She examined the photo. "One picture, four people."

Matt looked at it again. He saw five. "What the hell is going on here? You don't see Matthew in this picture?" He held it up to her again.

"Who's Matthew?"

Matt's face went slack. He got up and left the room. Molly and Mohinder followed him back to his office where he grabbed a marker from Sally's desk and proceeded to his personal bathroom. He closed the door on them.

The pair looked at each other and listened at the door. They could hear the rustling of clothes, grumbling, then silence. Suddenly a thump.

Mohinder opened the door to find Matt on the floor, shirtless, he had scrawled his name, "Matthew," over "wi" across his broad, hairy chest.

"Matthew! What in god's name are you doing?"

Matt looked around, dazed. "Mohinder? Molly? What are you two doing in my house?" He rubbed his head.

"Dad? You're not at home, you're at work," she insisted. Then she noticed the mirror. "Why did you write that?"

"Write what?" Matt asked, as Mohinder was trying to help him up, and realizing he still had the uncapped marker in his hand.

Both men stood, and looked at the mirror, which was when Matt also realized he had written on himself, as well.

"Did I just take a dump?" he asked as he looked at the crude message on the mirror: 'Matthew wipe U'.

"Not funny, dad," she said, voice shaking. "We just followed you in here, barely thirty seconds after you. Why are you writing messages to yourself _ON_ yourself?"

He looked at his daughter, scared as she was. "I-I don't know--?"

"Matthew, your nose is bleeding," Mohinder noted before he forced his friend down on the toilet seat on top of his hastily discarded shirts and jacket. He handed a handful of tissues to the man, leaned his head forward and pulled his stethoscope from his lab coat, pressing it against his friend's back. "Sounds normal, let me check your eyes," he insisted as he tilted Matt's head back upright and grabbed his penlight. "Dilation normal, as well. Did you experience any dizziness before you fell?"

Matt shrugged. "I don't remember writing any of that, much less coming into the office today. How am I supposed to remember if I was dizzy two minutes ago?"

Mohinder looked at him a moment. "Why don't we have Molly take you home, take some aspirin, and get some rest. First thing tomorrow, you come see me, agreed?"

Matt nodded and waved them off so he could at least get off his clothes and get dressed to leave.

He mumbled "I'm taking the rest of the day off," as he passed his assistant's desk.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Director?" the russet haired woman asked as he stumbled by with Molly and Mohinder.

"I hope," he grumbled, running a hand through his peppered hair as the elevator doors opened.

Jane Sinclair nodded and went back to her paperwork. As soon as the trio had left the office, she pulled out her phone and said, "It's happening. We have to move. Now."

* * *

Matt grumbled as the pair led him into his house and up to his bedroom. Daphne had left a note she had gone out shopping. Molly went to her father's bathroom cabinet and grabbed the aspirin bottle and a glass of water, setting them on the nightstand for him.

"Would you like one of us to wait with you until Mom comes home?" Molly asked.

"Nah, I'll be fine," he said, waving them off so he could change and take a nap. He doubted he had enough energy to even undress at this point.

"Get some rest, my friend," Mohinder patted him on the shoulder as he left. "Doctor's orders."

Mohinder and Molly went down to the kitchen to leave Daphne a note about what had happened.

"Do you recall him having an episode like this before?" he asked his foster daughter.

"No, Dad, and it's got me worried. Your MRI didn't pick up anything unusual? Brain tumor or hemorrhaging?" She didn't really want to hear the answer.

"No, nothing unusual that I noticed," he consoled her. "I'll look again when we get back to the office."

She forced a smiled and they headed for the door. She stopped and looked back into the house.

"Something wrong?"

Molly paused, unsure. "No, I don't think so. It's just that...." She couldn't put the feeling into words. "I thought I sensed someone else here, but now it's not?"

Mohinder looked around. "I'm sure it's nothing. Let's go, I want to look at those scans again."

Once they were in the car, she turned to him. "It's weird, Dad. I thought someone was watching us, but then they were gone." He raised an eyebrow at her. "It was like there was a void of something, like something was hiding from me?"

"Do you feel it now?" he asked, concerned. "Who do you sense in the house?"

She focused on the house a minute. "There's Dad...and Elvis...and, no, that's it, just the two of them. But that void is so disturbing."

"Where is it? Can you locate the general area?"

"No, that's just it, I can't sense anything wrong, now."

"Maybe your mind is just playing tricks on you?" he suggested. "Perhaps you psi-linked with your father without realizing it and it was just an echo of what he was sensing?"

Molly mused over this as they drove away. "I don't know, but if you think so?"

He raised an eyebrow at her. "Do you want me to turn back?"

"No, I'm sure it's nothing. Let's go check those results like you wanted."

* * *

Back in the house, Matt sensed them leaving as he crawled under the covers. What he didn't sense, however, was the shadow in his doorway as he drifted off.

* * *

As Mohinder led Molly into his office, he was greeted by two people at his desk, reading through Matt's file.

"Excuse me, can I help you?" he asked indignantly, as he snatched the file back from the scruffy man in his chair.

Molly looked at them, confused. "Jane? Claude? What are you two up to?"

Claude Rains eyed the young woman. "You remember us? Fantastic! There may be some hope for your father, yet!"

"I certainly hope so," came a voice from the far corner. Maury Parkman stepped out and nervously smiled at Molly.

She froze up for a second, out of instinct. "You're dead!"

He smiled. "That's what you were supposed to think, honey."

"Don't call me that! You tried to--"

He cut her off. "Keep a little girl out of harm's way?" He nodded. "I explained everything I could to your father, last summer. (Delicious cake, by the way. And your welcome for the other gift, too.) Thing is, I don't think he remembers it now, since none of you seem to remember my grandson, either."

"The twins?" Mohinder offered, confused as to which one he could be referring to.

It was Jane Sinclair who spoke up this time. "No. We're here to stop Matthew Albrecht-Parkman from destroying the world. Would you care to help?"

Molly and Mohinder looked at each other and spoke as one. "Who?"

"Yes," Claude replied. "I thought as much. Let's get to work, shall we?"

Claude nodded to Maury who tilted his head in concentration. Mohinder and Molly found themselves in an extensive library, with a large round table at the center of the room. Faces familiar and not were already seated.

Molly and Mohinder gazed at the stacks. Several shelves seemed to be shimmering. "Those are Matt's memories," Jane informed them. Several books started to fade, causing a ripple effect to several others. "They're being wiped out, just like yours were."

Foster father and daughter slowly began to understand the mission.

Molly and Mohinder took their seats and nodded to the people they already knew, Daphne, Noah, Nathan, Hiro, Sanjog, and Audrey Hanson, who Molly greeted with a hug after not having seen her for several years, as she had been the New York office's FBI liaison.

Noah introduced Hart Schwengels from Germany, Iason Galifianakis from Greece (whom Matt had worked with during the 2012 Incident), and Matt's one-time college roommate, Amid Halebi, from the Mid-East office to the unfamiliar pair, who Mohinder had only spoken to, mostly in passing, but never met in person before now.

Maury spoke up. "Now that we all know each other, I just want to warn you, what happens in here stays in here. Literally. Neither my son nor grandson will know what transpires in here. Neither will you back in the real world."

"Let's get to it then, shall we?" Claude piped up. "Save the cop, save the world."

Hiro groaned.

TBC...

* * *

Just a few notes:

Hart and Iason were Original characters mentioned in passing in an earlier chapter. Yes, I did use Zach's last name for the Greek Director (snatch MY glasses, will you, Beardo?). I didn't want to give the Greek guy a name like 'Papadopolis'. Just imagine Zach's thick bushel of hair as Brendan Gleeson's red-golden mane of hair in 'TROY'. Zach's biggest film to date is the Oscar nominated film, "INTO THE WILD", or Comedy Central staple "OUT COLD". He is founding a member of the former "Comedians of Comedy" troupe, has a couple comedy DVDs out, and briefly had his own show on VH1, "Late World with Zach". Keep watch for his inspired independent film, "VISIONEERS".

Adult Molly I would think looks something along the lines of Alyson Hannigan of 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer' and 'How I Met Your Mother' fame, as well as the 'AMERICAN PIE' Trilogy. (y'know, the GOOD movies in the (please let it die!) PIE saga!)

Hart, I really don't know who he would be if I were to cast him. (Boreanaz??) He got his last name from a friend, and his full first name actually does hint at his power.

And Jane? Look to her name to see where she was inspired from. Keep reading.


	2. Chapter 2 Darkness Rising

HEROES : Darkness Rising

Disclaimer: I own NUTTINK!

Characters: Clans Parkman, Petrelli, and cohorts

Setting: following the events of "Visiting Ours"

* * *

Matt sat up with a start. The room was dark. Daphne quietly slumbered beside him. He sent out a mental pulse, Diana was sleeping in her room as were the boys downstairs.

Nothing was wrong, right? No. Something was seriously wrong, he just didn't know what. He pulled on his sweats and went to check the house himself.

Diana was sleeping. No one was in the spare bedroom upstairs. Everything seemed fine on the main level downstairs. His office was untouched and Elvis was closed up in his shell for the night. He went down to the basement to find discarded video games littering the couch. The twins were both sleeping in their room. Downstairs bathroom and laundry room were both empty. Nothing else seemed out of place, or was it? Matt knew something was wrong, but couldn't place his finger on what. He looked out the windows into the barely moonlit backyard. Nothing.

He still had the sensation of being watched, a vaguely familiar tickle in the back of his mind. He sent out another mental pulse. Nothing.

He slowly made his way back upstairs, thinking he was missing something. Must've been a bad dream that set him on edge he thought as he crawled back in beside his sleeping wife. She barely stirred as he spooned himself behind her, kissing her shoulder and dozing back off.

He was awakened the next morning by his daughter crawling over him, giggling, "Daddy!"

Matt barely missed smacking her in the head as she jumped on him. He opened his eyes and smiled at his little girl. "Hi, sweetie, aren't you a little big to be daddy's alarm clock?"

"I not alarm clock!" she giggled as he began tickling her.

"Yes you are!" he insisted. He pressed her nose, "and this is your snooze button!" he laughed.

Between giggles, she finally told him, "Mommy said b'ekfist ready! Get it before boys eat it!"

"Tell mommy I'll be down in a minute, then, ok?" he said, rolling her over himself and onto the floor. She ran out the door, still giggling. He couldn't help but smile after her. Was she really five, already? He rolled out of bed, grabbed his sweatpants and headed downstairs.

"Morning, Daph," he said, kissing her on the head as she bustled around the table, scooping out scrambled eggs and bacon.

"About time, the boys were going to split your share if you didn't come down," she said as she kissed him back.

"Oh you were, were you?" he cocked an eyebrow at the twins. They gave him innocent looks as they shoveled in their breakfast. "Don't forget to chew, guys," he reminded them.

"I was gonna make them save it for Hiram!" Diana insisted as she clumsily tried to eat her own eggs with a spoon.

Matt and Daphne shared a look. "Hiram's joining us again, this morning?" he asked, wondering if this 'imaginary friend' was real, made up, or part of her possible power emerging.

"Yup!" she said proudly. "He's here all time and he's hung'y all time, too!" she informed her parents. The boys elbowed each other and laughed.

"Knock it off, guys," Matt warned. He turned to his daughter, "So what does Hiram do all day?"

"I'unno," she said with a mouthful off eggs. "Sit down'tairs and make pwans," she shrugged.

"Plans? Plans for what?" Matt asked, curiosity piqued.

She suddenly froze and acted nervous. "I not s'posed to say," she replied, timidly.

"Not supposed to say what, honey?" Daphne asked as she finally sat down.

Diana frowned and pushed her eggs around on her plate. "nuffin'. di'n say nuffin'."

Matt and Daphne gave each other curious looks as the boys suddenly jumped up in unison and left the table. "Brush your teeth before school, guys!" Matt hollered after them as they headed back downstairs.

Once the kids had all left for school, Matt hopped in the shower for work. Coming out, he saw Daphne in the bedroom. "You don't think we need to take Diana in to test her, do we?"

"Test her? For what?"

"This whole imaginary friend she seems to have," she answered, as he wrapped the towel around his waist and leaning in their bathroom door as he brushed his teeth. "I mean, it's not uncommon for kids to have imaginary friends at that age, but--"

He turned to spit the foam out. "But?" he raised an eyebrow.

"You know what I mean."

He nodded. "Between everything else our extended family can do, and naming him after me, of all things? You don't think that's unusual?"

She smirked. "Considering this family?"

He nodded. "How many times have we mentioned my middle name around her? None?"

"So she's daddy's little girl with mental abilities," she huffed, acting upset.

Matt went to her, hugging her close. "I'm sorry, sweetie, maybe all three will develop speed later on? Will you be happy, then?"

"You know what will make me happy?" she asked, tweaking his nipple.

"No, what?" he smiled, knowing the answer.

She reached for the towel, jerking it off. "Making you late for work once in a while," she answered kissing him and pulling him towards the bed. "Speaking of fast, morning quickie?"

"Hey! I'm not that fast!" he mock protested.

* * *

"So you think she's manifesting, already?" Mohinder asked.

"You have a better idea, Prof?" Matt replied. "She has an imaginary friend using my middle name who hangs out in the house all day, apparently swiping food--"

"That could just be the twins, you know? They are teenagers, now."

"Don't remind me," he said, rolling his eyes. "We thought of that, too, but she said this morning he hangs out downstairs all day 'making plans', whatever that's supposed to mean?"

"Could it be a ghost?" he offered. "Seeing ghosts is not unheard of, even before the current surge of abilities the last few decades. Even your own President Lincoln visited a 'ghost medium' before becoming one, himself, I've read. A ghost, that is."

Matt nodded. "Yeah, I've heard about that, too, but at so young an age? Mohinder, she's barely five years old!"

"And Molly and Micah were barely ten when they both manifested. Others have manifested at young ages, too."

"She's not ready for this," he sighed. "_I'm_ not ready for this!" he protested, hanging his head in his hands on Suresh's desk.

Mohinder pondered the situation. "Tell me, has she mentioned any details about him? Age, height, hair, eyes? If it is a ghost, we can do some background research on the property, maybe find out who it is--was?"

Matt leaned back in his chair and sighed. "We'll try, but she seemed afraid after letting slip the 'making plans' bit, this morning. Maybe we can bring her in, do a CAT scan and MRI, other tests?"

"That's up to you and Daphne, Matthew," he replied, glancing down to his calendar schedule for an opening.

Matt felt a sudden chill run through his spine.

Mohinder caught the shiver out of the corner of his eye. "Something wrong?"

Matt waved him off. "Nah, it's nothing. I'll be fine."

Mohinder gave him a questioning look.

"I'll talk to Daph, see if she wants to bring her in. She blew it off this morning," he suddenly stopped and cracked a big grin. He saw Mohinder raise an eyebrow at him, and stopped smiling. "I'll, uh, I'll let you know if we find anything else about this mysterious 'Hiram', okay?"

"My door is always open to you, Matthew. You know that."

Matt nodded, got up and returned to his own office.

Matt was still lost in thought as he passed his assistant's desk. "Good morning, Director Parkman."

"Morning, Jane," he replied absentmindedly.

"Jane?" Sally repeated. "Who's Jane?"

Matt stopped and turned to face the blonde woman. "Sally? I'm sorry, did I just call you Jane?"

Sally Schroeder frowned at her boss. "Yes. You did," she replied indignantly.

"um, sorry?" he shrugged. "I'm not sure why I called you that?"

"Alzheimer's setting in already?" she teased.

Matt actually considered this for a moment. He was constantly forgetting things lately. "I don't know. Could be?"

Sally was surprised by this admission. "Matt? Are you alright?"

"I don't know, Sally," he admitted. "Maybe I should have Mohinder give me a once over? I'll call him and set something up."

"I can do that for you?" she asked.

"No, that's okay, Sally," he shook his head. "It's nothing I can't handle...I hope." He entered his office and phoned Mohinder. "Hey, Prof, do you know anyone named Jane that works in the office?"

"Not offhand, why do you ask?"

"I just called Sally by that name," he said. "Neither of us knows why and...Mohinder, it's not the first time something like that has happened to me, lately."

"How so?"

"Sally joked if I was getting Alzheimer's, and I have to admit, it would explain my memory lapses of late. I've even got periods where I don't know what I'm doing for hours at a time."

"Matthew, if I didn't know any better, I'd say someone was mentally attacking you. Has there been any word on any new telepaths of late?"

"Not that I've heard, I'll ask and see maybe Molly or one of the other offices has heard anything. Meantime, do you want to throw me to the mercy of your machines?"

"If you're sure?"

Matt sighed. "Mohinder, it's getting to the point I'm not sure of anything, anymore."

Mohinder could hear the anguish in his friend's voice. "Meet me in the lab."

* * *

"Mommy, someone's at the door!" Diana chirped.

"Really?" she asked, playing along. "Who is it?"

Diana scrunched her face up, but was interrupted by knocking as she said, "He's sad."

"Stay here in the kitchen, sweetie," Daphne warned her daughter as she went to answer the door. She opened the door to see a man slightly older than herself. "Yes? Can I help you?"

The man was nervous. "I-I'm looking for Matthew Parkman? I was told he lives here?"

Something about the way he asked made her nervous. "Who are you? How do you know Matt?"

"I'm sorry! Where are my manners!" he apologized. "Dad would knock me upside the head for not introducing myself! My name is Alvin Blumenfeld, I'm--"

"Rabbi's son?" Daphne replied in surprise. Alvin nodded. "I'm sorry! Rabbi mentioned you, but we've never had the chance to actually meet!" She held out her hand. "Daphne Parkman, I'm Matt's wife. Come on in!"

Alvin nodded and followed her back to the kitchen. "I hope I haven't come at a bad time?"

"No, I was just finishing lunch with Diana," she replied offhandedly. "Did Rabbi send you over to talk to Matt or something?"

Alvin had been looking down at Diana, smiling at her. "Matthew isn't home?" he asked, looking up.

"No, he's at the office. Is there anything I can help you with?"

"Office?"

Daphne didn't like the way that sounded. "Yes, I'm sure Rabbi told you Matt is the West Coast Director for PrimaTech?"

"Oh! I'm sorry," he nervously replied. "I was talking about his son, Matthew, not Matt, er, Senior."

Diana let out a silent gasp behind them.

"Son? Neither of our sons are named after Matt," she informed him, confused. "I'm not sure what you're talking about?"

"Matt had to tell you about his son with Janice?" he asked. "I understood he came to live with you a few years back? Actually, almost six years ago?"

Daphne looked at the man, unsure what to make of this.

"Matt's not the father of her baby," she said adamantly. "That was the guy she cheated on him with. He was the father."

Alvin looked at her dumbfounded, then gave a quick glance down at Diana. "Can we talk in private, away from your daughter?"

Daphne gave him a questioning look, then motioned to Matt's office. "Diana, finish your lunch. We shouldn't be long."

"O-okay, Mommy," she replied in a shaky voice.

Daphne closed the door behind her and picked up Matt's phone. "I'm calling him to make sure you have your story straight. Matt told me almost from the start that his wife was pregnant by another man, the kid wasn't his."

Alvin sat quietly and waited as Daphne talked to someone on the other end.

"Well, please let him know Rabbi's son is here, asking after Matt's kid with his ex-wife," she told the other end. "Thanks, Sally, we'll be waiting."

She hung up and turned to Alvin. "Seems that Matt is in a meeting, he'll call back as soon as he finishes up." She eyed the other man warily. "Why do you think we took this kid in, what? six years ago, you said?"

"Yes, you and your daughter, Molly, came to see my father one day and wanted to surprise Matt for his birthday," he explained. "Then the three of you got the idea to re-introduce father and son, since my father had been raising Matthew for so many years after Janice died in Barstow. Surely you knew about that, didn't you?"

"Barstow? The nuclear explosion?"

Alvin nodded.

"You're saying Janet was--"

"Janice," he corrected her. "Sorry to be rude, but Matt's first wife was Janice, not Janet."

"Sorry. You're saying Janice was living in Barstow when it was nuked?"

"No, she just happened to be passing through, returning from Las Vegas for the weekend when it happened. She and a friend were two of the many victims still unaccounted for. My father was watching Matthew that weekend, and he decided to keep Matthew a secret from...well, I still don't know why they were keeping Matthew hidden away all these years, but I'm sure Matt does. He never told you any of this?"

"All Matt told any of us is that Janice cheated on him with a co-worker, got pregnant, and they agreed the marriage was over, anyway, so they split. That's all he ever said about it. He never told me that Janice died in Barstow or--"

"MOMMY!"

The house started shaking.

"Diana?"

Alvin barely heard the words as the speedster raced from the room. He ducked under Matt's heavy wood desk, thinking an earthquake was occurring.

All he remembered was their screams.

* * *

_"DAD!"_ Molly burst into the lab where her foster father was performing an MRI on her adoptive father, clad in only scrub pants.

"Molly, please!" Mohinder yelled. "I'm right in the middle of--"

"Something happened at home! Something bad!" she cried.

"Don't move, Matthew!" Suresh shouted. "I need to power down the equipment!" He looked up to see the lab was empty. Neither Matt nor Molly were in the room. "What in the world?"

He ran to the phone, punched in numbers. "Peter? Did you just teleport Matt and Molly from my lab to home?"

"Mohinder? What are you talking about?"

"You better get here, right now!" Mohinder replied, and turned to see the man on the other end of the phone suddenly standing beside him.

"What's going on? Did something happen to Matt and Molly?"

"Molly just ran in a few moments ago, yelling something bad happened at home. I turned to power down the MRI I was giving Matt, I looked back up, and they were gone!"

"News to me. Hold on, I'll try and locate them," he said, bowing his head in concentration and called on Molly's ability. After a minute, he looked up. "Nothing. I can't sense them anywhere. Did she say anything else?"

"Only that 'something bad' happened."

"Then why are we wasting time?" Peter asked, grabbing Suresh's arm and teleporting them to the Parkman residence.

At least, what remained of it. The duo arrived to a smoldering crater that used to be the home of Matt's family.

"NO!" Mohinder cried. "Daphne! Diana!"

Peter scanned the rubble. "There!" he pointed and lifted the remains of Matt's desk from Alvin Blumenfeld. They rushed to his side, both checking for injuries before attempting to help him sit up.

"Who are you?" Mohinder pressed. "Do you know what happened here?"

"Al-Alvin, my father was Rabbi Blumenfeld," he shakily explained. "I came here to check on Matthew, tell him--"

"Matthew was with me," Suresh said. "Then he disappeared with Molly, when she said something happened."

Alvin looked Suresh in the eye. "No, not Matt, his son, Matthew. Daphne didn't know him either."

"Matthew has a son named after him?" Suresh asked Peter, who only shrugged.

"His son by Janice, my-my father raised him after she died," Alvin cried. "I just came here to tell them--" he sobbed, "tell them my father d-died this morning. She didn't know who Matthew was! First dad, now my foster brother? His family?"

"Well, that's understandable. If the boy wasn't Matt's and your father raised--"

Peter cut him off. "No, Mohinder. He's under the impression that Matt and Daphne took this 'Matthew' in, is that right?"

Alvin nodded. "Almost six years ago. Dad said Matt introduced Matthew to the rest of the family the same day they announced she was pregnant, and that the Petrelli's were his brothers," he explained.

It was Peter's turn to be shocked. "Matt's my brother!? Since when?"

Alvin looked him in the eye. "What do you mean? My father was here! He told me about the whole affair that Father's Day! He introduced Matthew, told you he was your half-brother, and that he was going to be a father again! Neither of you remember?"

Peter looked at Mohinder, shook his head, then his eyes went wide in shock. "Oh geez! Daphne and Diana!" He turned back to the rubble, telekinetically pushing it around trying to find them amidst the wreckage. "Did they get out? Did you see?"

"The little girl cried out, Daphne ran out of the room as the house shook, then I dove for cover. I don't know what happened," he explained. "I thought it was an earthquake at first, but then the house seemed to explode around me. There were screams. Next thing I knew, you were digging me out."

Mohinder spoke up. "If Daphne had time to react to Diana, surely she had time to escape? Get Diana to safety?"

"But why wouldn't she come back to check on you?" Peter asked Alvin.

"I don't know. She was confused about what I was telling her about Matthew and--"

"Mohinder!" Peter shouted as his friend suddenly fell over. Peter grabbed him telekinetically before he hit the ground. "Mohinder, are you alright? Can you hear me?" He slapped the man's face lightly.

There was no response.

Peter began checking his vitals to make sure he was alive.

"This has to be connected," Alvin said. Peter looked at him. "Think about it. None of you remember the son Matt took in years ago, that afternoon you all supposedly met him, and now, when I try to contact the boy, his father's house blows up, and no one knows where his father disappeared to at the same time? Now, your friend also loses consciousness when I try to tell you about the boy? That is way beyond coincid--"

Peter caught Alvin and lowered his suddenly unconscious body to the ground as well.

"What's going on here?" Peter asked himself as he quickly teleported them back to PrimaTech's medical wing for observation.

The wreckage shifted. Elvis slowly crawled out, looking around in confusion.

* * *

No sooner had the staff gotten Mohinder hooked up to the monitors than he suddenly sat up. "Where am I? Where's Matt?"

"You're at PrimaTech, Doctor Suresh," the nurse informed him. "Mr. Petrelli brought you here a few moments ago. He said you and another gentleman collapsed at Director Parkman's house?"

"Cathy?" he asked, still disoriented. She nodded. He moaned. "Slight correction, I collapsed at the remains of Matt's house."

She gasped and ran out into the hall to fetch Peter.

Peter ran in moments later. "Are you alright? What happened to you?"

"I'm fine," Suresh protested, already pulling the equipment off his body. "I just had a mental conference call. I apologize for scaring you like that."

"I'm sorry? You did what?"

"Something is happening with Matthew. Several of us are preparing to defend him," he explained. "Have you been able to locate him or Molly, yet?"

"No, sorry," he apologized. "Immediately after you collapsed, our new friend did as well. I was just helping make sure he was taken care of when you woke up."

"What about Daphne and Diana? Can you find them?"

Peter concentrated a moment. "Ye--no. Wherever she is, Daphne's moving, I can't keep up with her."

"We'll hope that's for the best, right now," Mohinder offered as he slipped off the bed. "I need to make a phone call."

"A phone call? What's going on? Who are you calling?"

Mohinder stopped in the doorway and smiled at Peter.

"This Indian is calling the cavalry."

* * *

Matt sat up and looked around. His head hurt, as did most of his body. "Where the hell?"

Around him, the landscape was totally devastated. Almost as if it had been the site of a...nuclear explosion? That's when he realized where he was.

"_no._" he whispered, standing up. "it can't be."

"It is."

Matt spun around. He couldn't see or sense anyone.

"This is where it happened. This is where she died."

"Who are you?!" Matt shouted.

"You don't remember?"

"What? Please, tell me what happened? What's going on?"

"You know what happened. Peter and Gabriel told you. One more secret you kept from the world."

"I know this is Barstow," Matt protested to the voice. "What I don't know is why I'm here. What secret? What do you want from me?"

"You know full well what secret you kept from the world."

"What? That this happened because of one of us? We had to lie, to protect ourselves! To protect all the other innocents out there who would be attacked in revenge because--"

"BECAUSE YOU LIED!! _AGAIN!!_"

"Who are you?"

"SHE DIED HERE BECAUSE OF YOU!!"

"She? She who?" Matt asked, but then he realized he already knew the answer.

_"YOUR WIFE!"_

The words seemed to stab Matt through the heart. "Who are you?" he asked again. It was barely a whisper, but he knew the answer again.

"The one you hid away in shame and denial."

"Matthew? Please, I didn't--"

"I know. I took it from you. Just like you took her from me!"

Matt was struck by an invisible force. It felt like he had been hit by a train and electrocuted at the same time.

The voice came in a whisper, beside his ear. "You killed my mother. The man who raised me is also dead, now."

"R-Rabbi? What are you talking about? He's not--"

"Rabbi died this morning. You're going to die this afternoon." He could feel the breath hot in his ear, but the next word was pure glacial. _"Father."_

This sent a cold spike through Matt's heart worse than anything he had encountered, including the assault he had just experienced.

* * *

Next: The Exalted One

_______


	3. Chapter 3 Exalted

HEROES : Darkness Exalted

Disclaimer: I own NUTTINK!

Completely AU as of 3.10, spoilers beyond that to 3.13.

Characters: Clans Parkman, Petrelli, and cohorts

Setting: following the events of "Visiting Ours"

* * *

"_Father."_

The word sent a cold spike through Matt's heart worse than anything he had encountered, including the assault he had just experienced.

"Matthew? Please, I--"

"SHUT UP!"

Matt was once again wracked with pain.

The voice was cool as ice as it whispered in his ear. "I don't want to hear any more of your lies. I've gone through your head many a time. I know what you've done. I know how you think. No one knows where we are, and no one will save you, not even your time-traveling Japanese friend. I've already seen to that."

"W-why? Why are you doing this?"

"BECAUSE YOU STOLE MY LIFE FROM ME!!" he screamed. "Because of you, my mother is dead and now, so is the only man who I considered a father!"

Matt struggled to look up. He still couldn't see anyone. "I didn't know!" he protested.

He suddenly felt another blow and felt himself airborne. He landed hard.

"P-please!" he cried, spitting blood. "Don't do this! I--"

The voice came from beside him again. "You'll do nothing."

Matt felt himself being picked up like a rag doll.

"except die."

He was slammed into the ground again. He barely managed to pull himself up on his knees, unable to rise and face the man calling for his blood. The thought crossed his mind that he could have what now leaked from various wounds on his half-naked body. heh. "Please," he gasped, "I know you don't want to hurt us! I lo--" Matt never finished his thought as the pain swept through his body once more and the darkness threatened to envelope him.

"_LEAVE MY HUSBAND ALONE!"_

Matt barely registered Daphne's voice. He felt breezes sweep over his body. What was she doing here?

"Looking for something?" the voice taunted.

"Where are you, _coward_?" she screamed, crisscrossing the area around Matt's injured body. "Face me like a man!"

"We have a better idea," came the voice. "How about you die alongside him?"

Daphne barely had time to register this before she stumbled and fell, careening fully into her husband's already battered body. She looked up and saw two large chunks of debris rise over them out of the ground.

"Matt, get up! We have to get out of here!" she pleaded.

"You're not going anywhere!" came the voice as the debris slammed down to either side of the couple.

Before she knew it, they had both been lashed to a chunk, facing each other. She struggled against her restraints, while Matt was barely holding onto consciousness.

"I've suddenly got a better idea," came the voice. Matt tried to raise his head. "You took everything from me, why don't I take everything from you?"

"What?" Daphne yelped.

"L-leave 'r 'lone," Matt gasped. "Me...y'want, le'r go."

The voice came in a whisper in Matt's ear. "Hey, hey, the gang's all here."

"Whut?" Matt's head was forced up and he saw his assailant for the first time.

The burly young man floated before him, two teens floated behind him, blank stares on their faces. Matt focused on the face he hadn't seen in years, but recognized as his own firstborn son.

"M-Maffew? Dan'l? Joshy?" he gasped. "what?"

"_My Boys! NO!" _Daphne screamed. "Let them go!"

"They're in my control," the young man informed them. "Have been for quite some time. Seems they're minds work in synch, especially with another telepath. Especially with one they're related to," he gloated. "Isn't that right, _Father_?"

"L-le'm go, me y'want," Matt gasped again, wracked with pain.

"I don't think so," he replied. "Boys? Kill your mother."

"No!" Matt shouted, having finally found the strength to test his bonds, but found himself still too weak to break free.

The twins approached their mother, eyes dull. They each held out a hand and shrapnel flew into them, which they held up as knives.

"Daniel! Joshua! Please! Don't do this!" Daphne cried, struggling futilely. "I'm your mother! Don't do this!"

"_Boys! Stop! Please!_" Matt screamed, verbally and mentally. "Mish! Mash! You don't want to do this!" He strained again at his bonds.

Matthew began laughing.

"Daniel! Joshua! _STOP_!" Matt screamed, blood dripping from his nose. The boys paused.

Before Matthew could react, gunfire erupted. Daphne watched the bullets speed past her and stop in front of Matthew, held by his telekinesis.

"Looks like the party's just started, hm?" he said as the bullets dropped to the ashen ground. "I know you're out there, old men! Show yourselves!"

Noah Bennet, Nathan Petrelli, and Mohinder Suresh stepped out into the open.

"Let them go, Matthew! There's no need to hurt anyone!" Noah shouted.

Matthew gave a grim smile. "Do you think I'm stupid?" He made a quick motion and Claude dropped to the ground near Bennet. Several others materialized surrounding the group.

"Now," he smiled, "let's get this party started. Boys?"

The twins turned away from their mother and advanced on Bennet and Suresh. The shrapnel in their hands suddenly flew toward the pair, narrowly missing each of their godfathers.

"Try not to hurt them!" Daphne yelled, still struggling against her restraints.

Nathan suddenly flew at the boys, tackling both and flying away.

"Not so fast, Nathan," Matthew said, before reaching forward and jerking his hand back. Nathan stopped and found himself flying backwards. The boys dropped to the ground and Nathan found himself being thrown against the back of Matt's slab of debris.

The boys stood up, pulled another jagged shard from their parents' debris and turned on Mohinder and Audrey Hanson.

"This is ridiculous! How can we stop the boys without injuring them?" Audrey asked, dodging the shard that was thrown at her. "They're zombies!" She fired a warning shot into the ground at Daniel's feet. He didn't even flinch, even as the shard returned to his hand. "Super-zombies!"

"Somebody's got to take Junior out," Noah shouted, aiming at their opponent again.

Matthew turned to the former top Company agent and started to squeeze the man's throat telekinetically.

"Knock it off, boy."

Matthew was caught off guard. "Who?" He started to turn and was struck from behind.

"You think you're the first kid to be abandoned by his family?" the man asked. "Grow up and get over yourself."

"Who are you?" Matthew snarled as he faced the elderly man.

"Your grandfather, kid." He slapped Matthew across the face. "You think I liked abandoning your father, my son, all those years ago? It tore me up, just like it tore up Matty to push your mother away all those years ago." He slapped the boy again. "They did it to protect you. To give you a chance at a normal life." Another slap. "He thought you died. That tore him up even more." slap. "I never saw him as happy as the day you came back into his life, and what did you do?" slap. "You pushed him away, and began plotting to kill him." slap. "He tried to make things right with you and you want to kill him? How does that bring back your mother?"

Maury drew back to slap Matthew again, but found himself frozen.

"Enough out of you, old man." He flung Maury away with barely a glance and wiped his bloodied mouth. "Who's next?"

Nathan flew at the boy again, but found himself redirected and thrown away like a rag doll.

"Is this the best that you can do?" Matthew shouted. "Pathetic! I should kill all of--" Then he saw Hiro teleport in and grab Matt and Daphne. Before he could react, all three were gone. "NO! They're mine to kill! _MINE!_"

Noah fired again, as Nathan tried to distract Matthew by dive-bombing him. Matthew brushed off both bullets and his uncle once more. Incensed by the attack, Matthew pulled the twins behind him, drawing off their power and the ground began to shake.

"This ends, now."

"Yes it does, Matthew!" Maury cried as he tackled his grandson.

The boy was unfazed as his grandfather clung to his body. He spit in the man's face and pushed him off, telekinetically.

"Give it up and I'll make your death quick, old man," he said, raising his hand. _There's something different about him, but what? _Matthew wondered for a second.

"Never," Maury shot back, defiant.

"Knock it off, Matthew!" Matt yelled.

Matthew turned to see that his father had rejoined the stand off, barely looking none the worse for the wear, as most of his wounds were gone. Speaking of wear, he was now wearing the jacket his own father had been wearing minutes earlier.

"You have a healer with you, don't you?" he scanned the group, focusing in on the people he didn't know, three new people had arrived with his father. Nakamura's doing.

"You." He pointed at Iason Galifianakis and drew the Greek to him, his thick golden-orange lionesque mane of hair and beard blowing in the wind of energy that Matthew was generating. He closed his hand around the man's thickly bearded throat and squeezed. Iason drew back to strike the youth, but found he was unable to throw it forward.

"You don't want to do that, Matthew!" the man with the Arabic accent yelled.

Matthew regarded him a moment, then flung Iason away. "Who are you? My father seems to know you, but isn't sure why you're here."

"You don't want to do this, Matthew," Amid Halebi repeated. "You want to let your brothers go. Release them and give yourself up, peacefully. Now."

Matthew could feel the man pushing into his thoughts. "I don't think so," he chuckled and Amid found himself flying through the air. After saving Iason, Nathan barely caught up to Amid before he landed.

"Who else thinks they can stop me?" he demanded.

"I do, Matthew," Matt said, striding toward his son. "If you're mad at me because I left you, that's one thing. That's between you and me, no one else!"

"_YOU KILLED MY MOTHER!"_

"Why? Because we didn't know someone else would develop nuclear powers? Because we didn't stop her from being killed by chance? Would you still be mad if she had died in a car accident? No powers involved? What about cancer? A heart attack? Would you still be mad at me if she had died a normal death?"

"_YES!"_

"I'm sorry, Matthew. I'm sorry I couldn't be there for you." He was now nearly face to face with the young man.

Matthew reached out and wrapped his hands around the neck of his father. _"DIE!" _he shouted as he began squeezing.

Matt reached up and hugged the man trying to kill him.

"MATT! Get down!" Noah shouted as he opened fire.

Matt didn't move, but Matthew shifted and the bullets hit his father square in the back.

"NO!" Bennet shouted.

"Four bullets. Heh," Matt said as he dropped to the ground.

"What?" he grabbed his father's shoulders.

"Five more bullets," Matt said, drawing in a raspy breath. "First trying to stop Sylar, now trying to stop my own-koff-son."

"What are you talking about, old man?" Matthew demanded.

"I named them," he said, his voice seemed to quaver, echoing. "I named each bullet that hit me back then. Back in Kirby Plaza. Four people I believed had betrayed me." He looked his son in the eye, forcing his eyes to focus. "Maury. Tom. Janice. Matt. -koff- My father abandoned me. My partner cheated on me with my wife, your mother." he drew in a ragged breath. "and I-I let myself down by not stopping Sylar from killing again."

"Famous last words," Matthew said. "Too many to fit on your tombstone, unfortunately for you."

"Five more," Matt gasped, voice still echoing. "People I lov-koff-loved. Unconditionally. Diana, Joshua, Daniel, M-Matthew, M-Molly."

"What are you talking about?"

"I always loved you, M-Matty, I-I'm sorry," he gasped.

Matthew pushed the limp body back and let it drop to the ashen earth. It shimmered and he saw Maury laying at his feet.

"What is this?" he shouted, looking at the group he still held at bay. "What kind of trick is this!?"

"The one that's going to kick your ass, son," Matt said as he stepped forward from behind the chunk of debris that had held him before. "Now!"

Matthew found himself unable to move, as he and his brothers were suddenly surrounded by their father, sister, Amid Halebi, Sanjog Iyer, Hart Schwengels, and Jane Sinclair.

Jane held Matthew from behind by the shoulders as the rest tried to keep his powers from lashing out.

Hiro quickly popped in and grabbed Maury's body away, reappearing beside Iason to try and save the elder Parkman before he died.

"After what you've done today, and what you've done to us the last few years, Matthew, I hope this hurts!" Matt said as the assembled group began a mental assault on his firstborn.

Matthew grabbed his head in pain. The energy he lashed out with began causing ashen dust devils to kick up, blinding those on the sidelines to what was occurring inside.

"_NO! _STOP IT!! _LEAVE ME ALONE!!_" he shouted, fighting the group off as he felt his hold on his twin brothers suddenly lapse. He was barely aware of Hiro teleporting the twins away to safety as he felt the connection break.

"YOU DID THIS!! _YOU CAN'T STOP ME!!_" he yelled charging his father, once again going for the man's throat.

Matt fought the urge to hug his son and boxed him on the ears, breaking his chokehold. "Give it up, Matthew! You can't win! Not today!"

"I HATE YOU!! I HATE YOU!! _I HATE YOU!!_" he screamed in protest.

"Matt!" Jane called out. "Show him! Show him the truth!"

Matt grabbed his son's head and forced him to look in his eyes. "I loved your mother from the moment I saw her, Matthew. I loved you from before the moment you were born."

"_LIAR!!"_

With Sanjog and Jane's assistance, Matt flooded his son's mind with his own memories.

_Awkward shared glances in college that became something more._

_Their first child and his impromptu serenade and proposal._

_Their first loss, and the visits to their parents and their revelations._

_Their second loss days after being married._

_The sudden losses of Ruth and Lawrence._

_The third child they lost._

_The silent betrayals, and their counseling._

_The discovery of his powers and her latest pregnancy._

_The motel conversation with Noah about Claire and Elle._

_The events of Kirby Plaza and the heartbreak that ensued, knowing she would be safer away from his new life._

_The night she gave birth._

_Finding out her fate from Tom McHenry and the only memory he would know of Matthew as a baby years later._

Matt then found himself recalling lost memories that had been hidden from him. He felt something else. A probing into his mind as he shared his memories. Was Matthew trying to prove their veracity? He pressed on, sharing what regained memories he could.

_Their tearful reunion, six years prior._

_Maury's confession that same night._

_Matt's nightly vigils, trying to reach out to his long-lost son._

Even more recent memories that Matt found he was discovering anew that his son had taken from him.

Throughout it all, Matt never gave up the love he had felt for Janice or Matthew.

Matthew pulled back from his father, still staring at him.

Matt still held his hands out to his son. "I never wanted much in life, Matthew. I just wanted to be a good man, with a good family I could love. If I had the chance to do it all over again, without powers, with your mother and you? I would."

"Liar," he accused, voice vibrating.

"Alright," Matt nodded, "I would miss the family I made with Daphne, but I would still have you. That's all I could ever ask for, you being part of my life, Matthew."

Tears filled Matthew's eyes. "I want her back," he choked.

Matt nodded. "I miss her, too, son. I never stopped loving her." He reached out to his son again.

Matthew hung his head. A small change in posture sent Matt's mind screaming danger. "Matthew? Are you all right, son?"

Matthew looked up into his father's eyes. A dark smile spread across his lips. "Matthew's not home right now."

Matt was caught off guard as he and the rest of the psychic circle found themselves flung away. Nathan sped after Matt and Molly first. Hart, Sanjog, and Amid landed with minor bruising.

The young man floated back above the group. "Fools. Did you ever think it was that easy to be rid of me?"

The crowd scrambled to get away and recover to regroup.

Matthew glared at Nathan. "You never could do the job right, boy."

Nathan stared in shock. "What?"

"I set you up to be the most powerful man in the world and you threw it all away. For what?" he demanded.

Nathan was clueless. "What are you talking about, kid?"

"Please, Nathan," the boy said, his tone growing darker. "You don't really think one lousy bullet to the head could stop me, did you?"

It was Maury who made the realization first. "Arthur?"

He turned on the old man. "And you. You don't seriously think I ever bought into the fact you succeeded in faking your death, did you?"

Maury's jaw dropped. "Oh my god, it is you!"

Matthew/Arthur smiled. The chunk of debris that had held Matt suddenly flew up in the air. "Goodbye, Maury." with that, the slab came crashing down where Maury had stood, knocking down Iason and Molly as it did so.

Matthew/Arthur surveyed the rest of the group. "So many powers, ripe for the picking!" he said as he reached out and drew Daphne near him. He held her up to his face, inspecting her. "The years have been kind to you, my dear."

Daphne struggled to get away, locked in his telekinetic grip. "Let. Me. go!"

"Leave my wife alone!" Matt yelled. "Get the hell out of my son!"

Arthur turned and looked at Matt, who stood defiant below him. "My, my. Aren't we the bold one? The bastard rape-child my wife gave birth to?"

Matt gritted his teeth and clenched his fists, ready for whatever came next.

"I made the mistake of letting her keep you," he said. "I wanted to terminate you and your father, and be done with the whole situation."

"She wouldn't let you, would she?" Matt shot back. Nathan came to stand by his brother, glaring at his father.

Arthur smirked. "Young love," he shrugged. "How could I say no to my wife?" He stopped smiling. "If I had known she would later betray me and try to kill me, twice over, I would have killed all three of you and been done with all of it."

"You use people like pawns, pop," Nathan retorted. "That's all any of us are to you, isn't it? We're all pawns in your sick, twisted schemes."

"You know me too well, Nathan," Arthur mused. "and as such, you know you're all expendable."

"There are others!" Matt yelled. "We'll never stop until you've been defeated once and for all!"

"Do you really think you would kill your own son to stop me, Parkman?" he laughed.

Matt glared at him. Suddenly, the image of a fine dining room appeared, with a slightly younger Matt and Mohinder seated across from each other at the table.

This Mohinder spoke up, concern in his voice. "Can I ask you, would you die for them?"

Matt nodded. "For my kids, for my wife, for my friends," came his reply. "If the cause was right and I could save their lives by sacrificing mine, I would do it without question."

Arthur stared at the scene. He turned back to Matt. "What is this? Some sort of trick?"

Mohinder came to stand beside Matt as he spoke. "A conversation, shortly before I was reunited with my son, whose body you now possess. I stood behind that claim then, as I do now. For the greater good, these people know I would sacrifice my life to save theirs, and if I have to, I would give up my son's life to save the world."

Arthur stared at the defiant Matt for a long moment.

"What's it going to be?" Nathan asked. "Are you going to fight a losing battle or release Matthew and fade away like you should have done a long time ago?"

"Do you really think I would give up so easily, Nathan?"

"I didn't think so, pop," Nathan replied, assuming a defensive position.

Arthur sighed. "Such children. Do you really think I've been biding my time, doing nothing all these years?" He made a curt movement and Daniel and Joshua reappeared behind him, still entranced in his power. "I've been studying you all, erasing any trace of my--" he glanced at Matt, who tensed up. "Sorry, of _our_ existence the last few years since I found this body. It should serve me well the next few decades, don't you think, Parkman?"

"Get the hell out of my son!" Matt yelled in response.

"I don't think so," Arthur replied and Matt suddenly found himself bashed into the slab he had been tied to earlier. The same one his father now lay buried under.

"Stop it, dad!" Nathan yelled, charging his nephew/father.

Arthur barely gestured and Nathan found himself spinning away, out of control.

Daphne ran to Matt, tried pulling him free, but he was unable to move. She turned to Arthur. "Stop this! What did we ever do to you?"

Arthur smiled. "You betrayed me, my dear. Your husband by his very existence. My son tried to destroy me after all I had done for him, and you? You and Maury defied me." He motioned to Daphne, but Mohinder stepped in front of her.

"I seem to recall you admitting you were scared when you lost your powers before, Petrelli," he accused. Arthur lifted an eyebrow at him. "During that brief period I worked for you, before you died, you were afraid of losing your power when that eclipse happened. You even admitted to it after. You're a frightened little man who can't--"

Mohinder didn't get a chance to finish his thought as he found himself flung away from the group as well. Nathan had barely time to recover his own wits before he saw what happened and flew to Suresh's rescue.

"This is getting to be a habit, today," he grumbled as he caught the Indian.

"One we hope you don't break, Nathan," Mohinder chided.

"And to think, he was always too busy to play catch with me as a kid," Nathan quipped back.

Amid approached Arthur next. "You can't win, Arthur," he ordered the dual presence. "Release Matthew and move on."

Arthur frowned. "You bore me." He flung the man away just as Nathan returned to drop Mohinder off with Daphne. He glared at his father and flew after Halebi.

"They're right, you know," Jane said, approaching him.

"I don't know you," Arthur replied. He frowned at her. "In fact, I can see you, but wouldn't even know you were here otherwise. You blew your chance my dear." He motioned toward her. Nothing happened.

He swept his hand at her again. Nothing.

"What's going on? Who are you?" he demanded as he suddenly felt himself lowering to the ground.

"Who I am is of no consequence," she said. "You need to release Matthew's children and move on. Your time here is done."

"I'm done when I say I'm done, and I have plenty of plans to carry out. Now get out of my way." He swung his arm out again to no avail.

Jane reached up to him and clasped her hands on either side of his head. "Release the boys. Now."

"Never!" he cried, trying to physically shove her away.

She ignored his protests. "Release them."

"NO!" he argued, finding it suddenly hard to think.

The boy's mind was fighting him. His body resisting his control. He felt the twins pulling away again. He tried drawing on their energies, but it was too late. The twins dropped to the ground, finally freed of his influence.

"Now, release Matthew and leave this plane."

"N-Never!" he protested, still struggling to keep a grip on the boy's body and soul. "This body is mine, now! I'll never give it up!"

He felt another pair of hands on his shoulders, forcing him to kneel.

"Let go of my son, Arthur," Matt ordered him.

"Never!" he yelled again as he reached out with his mind.

Audrey and Noah had approached to take the twins away, but suddenly found themselves pulling their guns and pointing them at Matt's head.

Matt was aware of this even as the two barrels pressed against his skull.

"I told you, I would sacrifice myself if it meant saving my friends, Arthur," he said. "If you think you can make them shoot me to help you win or even escape, you're only fooling yourself. Nathan and the others will hunt you down and destroy you. Even if it means killing Matthew."

"I'd like to see them try, Parkman," Arthur said.

Matt could feel both barrels shaking as Noah and Audrey fought to keep from shooting their friend. Their thoughts were fighting for control over their own bodies, sending Matt apologies just in case. He reached out to both mentally and imagined a mental cocoon around both keeping Arthur from controlling them. It seemed to work until both pistols jumped out of their hands and held themselves against his head.

"What now, Parkman?"

Matt held his son's head. He leaned down and kissed it. "I love you, Matthew." He felt the gun barrels follow him down and braced himself for the impending thunder.

"You're never getting your son back, Parkman," he said quietly. "This is my body, now. I'm never giving it--"

Nathan punched his nephew/father across the jaw. "Shut the hell up and die, already, old man."

The pistols fell to the ground behind Matt.

Arthur fell to he ground, Nathan's blow breaking the grip Jane and Matt had on Matthew's body.

"You just made the biggest mistake of your life, son," Arthur grinned, rubbing his jaw. He started to float back up but was tackled by Matt.

"Get the hell out of my son, Arthur!"

Arthur slugged Matt, backing his blow telekinetically. "Let go of me, Parkman! The boy is mine!"

Matt never loosened his grip on his son's body. "Give me back my son!"

Arthur drew back again, but found his right arm restrained by the German, Hart Schwengels.

"Befreien Sie den Jungen!" he yelled. "Jetzt!"

"Get off me, Kraut!" Arthur argued, trying to pull his arm free.

Nathan grabbed the other arm. "Let go of the kid, Arthur!"

"_NEVER!"_

Sanjog and Jane stepped to the struggling quartet as they tumbled to the ground.

"You must release him, Arthur Petrelli," Sanjog said calmly. "You do not belong on this plane, any more."

"NO!"

Jane reached down and grabbed his head once more. "You must, Arthur. Your time here was done, long ago. The damage you have already caused may never be repaired. It is time for you to move on."

Arthur could feel his grip on the boy slipping. He thrashed about, held under the boy's father's weight as his arms were pinned to either side. "I'll never give up! I am immortal!"

"Just like Adam?" Nathan asked. "I think you, of all people, know how that turned out."

"Let go of me!" he protested once more, finally throwing his captors off telekinetically. "You can't stop me!" he cried as he turned on Matt and Nathan.

"Yes we can!" yelled Hiro as he lunged forward, driving the Kensei sword deep into the boy's chest.

Arthur looked down and grabbed the blade in disbelief. "no."

Matt grabbed the hilt from Hiro. "Matthew, if you can hear me, I beg your forgiveness, son." He then twisted the blade, pushing it again into his son's torso. Tears streamed down his cheeks. "I love you, Matthew," he whispered.

"NO!" Arthur gasped, spitting blood over Matt's face. He clawed at the man, desperately trying to hold on to the life left in the boy's body. He looked down at the hilt again and saw the helix embedded there between Matt's hands.

He coughed blood, letting it dribble from the boy's lips onto the hilt, covering the symbol. "It wasn't supposed to end like this," he protested as he felt the life drifting from the body.

He looked up at Matt and then at Nathan. "Not like this," he gasped with his last breath.

Matthew's body slumped forward onto Matt's chest. Nathan stepped forward to grab the body and let Matt pull the katana free. Together, they lowered the body to the ground. Matt cradled his son, sobbing uncontrollably. Daphne came up behind him and hugged his shoulders. Nathan patted his brother on the head.

Jane and Hart shared a look, nodded, then she motioned for Iason to approach.

"Matt, we can't feel Arthur's influence any longer," she said. "If we can save Matthew, now, we will try."

Matt looked up at her through the tears, nodded. "please?"

Iason knelt down and laid his hands on Matthew's wound, concentrating. "It is too much. There was too much damage," he said.

"Please!" Matt begged. "I'll do anything! Help my son!"

Jane knelt down, placed one hand on Matt's heart and the other on Matthew's. She nodded to Iason again. He lowered his head in concentration.

"Let me," came a voice from behind Matt. He turned and saw his father standing there. "What? Just made him think I hadn't moved." He knelt down and mirrored Jane, one hand on Matt, the other on his grandson.

_Sneaky bastard_, Matt projected to his father, who smiled and winked in return.

A small moan escaped the boy's lips, but the wound had yet to fully heal.

"He's lost too much blood," Iason said. "I don't know if I can bring him back."

Daphne turned to Hiro, who was watching the scene with deep concern. "Go! Get Claire! Maybe her blood can help us!"

Hiro nodded. "Right away!" he said and disappeared.

Maury turned to Iason. "Take whatever energy you need from me, just save my grandson!"

"Dad, no!" he protested before turning to Iason, himself. "Take whatever you need from _me_! He's my son!"

Iason looked at the old man, then at Matt. He nodded and Maury placed his hand from Matthew onto Iason's shoulder. He concentrated and forced the boy's body to heal.

Ever so slowly, the wound started closing up, but the bleeding continued.

"please, please, _please_, Matthew," Matt muttered, willing the life back into his son. "come on, I know you can do it, you're a Parkman! We're too stubborn to give up this easily!"

Maury chuckled and leaned over to kiss his son's head. "I love you, boy."

Matthew coughed weakly.

"It's working!" Matt cried. "Come on, Matthew! I know you can do this! Stay with us!"

"I have her!" Hiro yelled as he returned with Claire and a medical bag. Mohinder ran to them and grabbed the bag, pulling out a syringe as Claire rolled up her sleeve so he could draw her blood.

Noah ran to his daughter and hugged her as Mohinder stabbed her arm with the needle. "Sorry, but we're running out of time," he apologized, drawing the stopper back and filling the vial with her blood.

He quickly ran over to the other healer and jabbed the needle into Matthew's chest, forcing the healing blood into the boy's system. Iason kept pushing himself to heal the boy, but was growing weaker.

"Maybe we should teleport him to a hospital?" Hiro offered.

"It's up to Matthew, now," Mohinder countered. "Claire's blood should be enough, even without Iason's healing ability, but the combined effort should bring him back."

"Take more blood, if you need it," Claire offered. "I've got plenty to spare." Nathan hugged her tight as they could only stand and wait for Matthew to pull through.

The twins stirred in Claude and Audrey's care and saw their parents' concern over the young man they had been used by. They both stood and shakily walked to join them, hugging their father and mother.

Audrey followed and laid a concerned hand on Matt's shoulder. Even Molly came over and laid a hand on Maury's shoulder in support.

"Come on, Matthew, you know you can do it," Matt urged.

The seconds ticked by with no change from his son.

Maury placed his hand on his grandson's forehead. "Matthew, come back to us, boy. There's a whole crowd of people waiting on you to pull through. We love you, boy."

Jane moved behind Iason and grabbed his shoulders. "You can do it, you just have to push him a little more to bring him back."

Iason moaned in pain. "I'm trying. I can feel him, but he's fighting me. He wants to go."

"_NO!" _Matt yelled. "Matthew! I can't lose you, buddy! I have to make up all those years to you! Come back to me!" he pleaded. "Please! Matthew!" Fresh tears rolled down his cheeks and on to his son's wound.

Maury turned to Iason again. "Take whatever you need to help him, even if it costs me my life."

"Dad, no!" Matt protested again.

"I love you Matty, but if I can give my life to save your son's-my grandson's-then so be it. I'd gladly give up my life if it meant saving him," he said. "It's the least I can do to make up all those years to you," he smiled.

Matt hesitated, then nodded. Iason reached up with one bloodied hand and placed it on Maury's chest, drawing the energy from the old man and forcing it into the young one.

The rest of Matt's family concentrated on healing their fallen member as did the small crowd who were trying to stop him minutes earlier.

The blood still streamed from his chest and obscured the wound from those immediately surrounding the body.

At long last, there came an exhausted gasp for air. The only breath that was taken in that tense moment as they waited for another reaction. Matthew gave a small coughing fit as air filled his lungs once again.

Iason fell back, exhausted, as Jane tended to him.

Matt cheered and leaned forward to kiss son. The boy gave a puzzled expression to this strange man as he drew back.

"Who are you? Where am I?" he asked.

"Matthew? Don't you remember me?" Matt replied, worried.

Matthew gave him an unsure look. "N-no?"

Matt was stunned. No one had expected this. What had Arthur done to his son's mind all these years?

"Who are you?" he asked again. "Where's Rabbi?"

Matt's bloodied hand flew to his mouth. Daphne let out a small gasp.

"Matthew, what do you remember?" he asked his son. "You don't recognize any of us?" he motioned to his immediate family.

That's when he noticed Maury's head was slumped down. He wasn't moving.

"Oh geez! Dad? _DAD!?" _He moved to his father, grabbing him and almost knocking him over.

"Matty?" he asked, slurring the word. "where? izzy okay? D'e make it?"

"He's awake, dad!" Matt replied. "Stay with us! You're both going to be fine!" He turned, scanning the crowd. "HIRO! Get us to a hospital, now!"

Hiro rushed forward and grabbed the arms of each elder Parkman as Matt made sure he had a tight grip on his son before Hiro teleported them back to PrimaTech's Medical wing.

They appeared in the midst of the floor, and Matt immediately began barking orders for assistance for his father and his son to be stabilized from their wounds.

Having let the doctors proceed, Matt stepped back and saw Hiro waiting. "Go back and get Claire and the rest of the group," he ordered before noticing one of them had already followed.

Hiro nodded and teleported out as Matt made his way to the other person.

"How did you get here so fast?" he asked.

"I have my secrets, Matthew," Jane said. "Come, let's see to your father."

"What about my son?"

"He'll be fine for the moment," she said. "Your father needs to see you, now."

Matt didn't argue and followed her to the triage station where his father had been brought. They watched the doctors and nurses work, trying to figure out how best to proceed.

Jane stepped up to one and informed him that, "He has given up his life energy to save the boy's life. There is little you can do for him, now, other than monitor his condition."

The doctor nodded, informed his compatriots, and they set about hooking up various monitors and IV's to the elder Parkman.

Jane turned to Matt. "I suggest you talk to your father, now, while you still have the chance."

Matt looked at her in surprise. "You mean--?"

"Your father is not young, and this day has taken it's toll on him. He did say he was willing to sacrifice himself to save your son."

Matt looked to his father as the last of the monitoring devices was attached. He hesitated until only one doctor was left to make sure he was stabilized.

"Dad?" he said hesitantly.

No answer.

"Dad, can you hear me?" he asked again, probing his father's thoughts for activity.

_Matty?_

Matt was momentarily surprised at the clarity, considering the past few hours and the man now had an air tube forced into his throat.

"Dad...there's so much I want to say to you," he began, choking up.

_Don't, Matty. What's done is done._

"Thank you, dad, for everything." He grabbed his father's hand, squeezing it. "I-I love you."

_I love you, too, boy. Make sure you keep that son of yours out of trouble from now on, you hear me?_

Matt chuckled. "Yeah, dad, I'll try."

_I'm sorry I couldn't be there for you, Matty._

"You were there today when it counted most, Dad. That was enough. I'll never forget that. I'll owe you, forever."

_Consider us even, Matty. Be good and take care of your family._

"I will, dad, I promise." Matt noticed the monitors started acting up.

_I love you, boy. Always have._ The voice weakened.

The doctor hit the emergency button and the nurses came running back in, pushing Matt out of the way.

_I-I know dad, I love you, too_, he thought, holding back the tears.

_Ruth...._

"He's coding!" someone shouted. "Get the paddles!"

"clear!" phwump! "clear!" phwump!

Matt sank into a chair, watching as they tried to revive his father. He tried to tell them it was too late, but they insisted on continuing to revive him. Matt finally had to yell "_enough!_" That got their attention and they finally gave in to his order.

Jane laid a hand on his shoulder as they finally called the time. He looked up at her with tear-filled eyes.

"I can't remember--," he started. He looked to his father's body. "I can't remember how it goes. I should be saying it, but I can't!"

She smiled at him. "Kaddish Avelim?" He nodded.

She began reciting it and Matt found himself remembering it and chanting along with her.

Yitgaddal v'yitqaddash sh'meh rabba B''al'ma di v'ra' khiruteh v'yamlikh malkhuteh v'yatzmach purqaneh viqarev m'shicheh b'chayekhon uvyomekhon uvchaye d'khol bet yisra'el b''agala uvizman qariv v''imru amen.

_y'he sh'meh rabba m'varakh l' 'alam ul'al'me 'al'maya Yitbarakh v'yishtabbach v'yitpa'ar v'yitromam v'yitnasse v'yithaddar v'yit'alle v'yithallal sh'meh d'qudsha, b'rikh hu. L 'ella mikkol min kol birkhata_ _v'shirata tushb'chata v'nechemata da'amiran b'al'ma v''imru amen._

_Titqabbal tz'lot'hon uva'ut'hon d'khol bet yisra'el_ _qodam avuhon di bishmayya, v''imru amen_.

_Y'he sh'lama rabba min sh'mayya v'chayyim tovim v'sava vishu'a v'nechama v'shezava urfu'a ug'ulla uslicha v'khappara v'revach v'hatzzala lanu ulkhol 'ammo yisra'el v''imru amen. 'ose shalom bimromav hu b'rachamav ya'ase shalom 'alenu_ _v''al kol yisra'el, v''imru amen._

When they finished, he simply said, "thank you," and went to kiss his father's forehead. He stood over his father for a minute, lost in his thoughts.

Jane came up behind him. "You should be with your son, now. I'll stand watch over your father."

Matt nodded and slowly left to find his son. He stopped at the doorway, and took another long look before proceeding.

"I'm sorry, Maury," she said and kissed his forehead. "You fought bravely. We couldn't ask for anything more. Thank you."

* * *

Tbc....

__________________

* * *

Notes:

I pasted the Kaddish from directly off wiki, if anyone can correct me, please do so. Especially if something was auto-corrected. I'm not Jewish, but Grunny is (and has dropped hints Matt is, as well), and I didn't realize I would delve into this aspect of the character when I first started writing this "Parkman Saga".

Btw, I'm thinking Matthew would be played by someone between Joshua Jackson ('Pacey' on Dawson's Creek era, not Fringe) or Tyler Labine ('stoner' on X-Files era, not 'Sock' on Reaper). Or just mentally de-age Grunny. Not too many actors around that age fit the physical image I have in mind of a stocky/burly young man. Abe Benrubi is just too big, even in his 'Parker Lewis' or 'Wings' days, and forget anything past his Roseanne appearance, esp ER.


	4. Chapter 4 Kaddish

HEROES : Darkness ~ Kaddish

Disclaimer: I own NUTTINK!

Completely AU as of 3.10, spoilers beyond that to 3.14/3.15?

Characters: Clan Parkman, and cohorts

Setting: following the events of "Visiting Ours", and we find out when this story truly diverged from the actual HEROES canon.

Note: again, if I have misquoted the Kaddish, please correct me. I only pasted it from wiki, only source I could find. Auto-correct made a few 'fixes'.

* * *

Matt slowly made his way from his now-late father's room to his eldest son's. Molly was waiting with him.

"Knock knock," Matt said half-heartedly as he entered. Molly gave him a quick hug as he went to his son's bedside. "How are you feeling, Matthew?" he asked as he took in all the monitors and IV's the burly young man was hooked up to.

"Like I've been turned inside out and run a decathlon," he replied, forcing a smile. "Molly says you're my father?"

Matt sighed. "You don't remember anything, do you? Not even the turtle?"

Matthew shook his head, confused. "Turtle?"

Matt threw his hands up in mock defeat. "Fine! It's a tortoise! Same Difference!" He looked down at his son again. "So, Arthur wiped everything, huh?" he grimaced.

"Who's Arthur?"

"The man who possessed you, it seems," Matt explained. "We thought he died years ago, right before you were born. Turns out he had another power we never knew about."

Matthew gave the man a confused look. "Power?"

Matt and Molly shared a concerned look. "Uh, Matthew, what _do_ you remember?"

"um, I remember Rabbi taking care of me..." He hesitated, forcing the next words out, "af-after mom died?"

Matt nodded and gave a heavy sigh. "Matthew, how old do you think you are? What year is this?"

"I want to say ten?" he shrugged, looking down at his adult body. "It's not...2017, isn't it?" he asked.

"oh my god," Matt said in shock. "You've lost a decade of your life?"

"I...don't know?" he confessed, hanging his head. "Where's Rabbi? Why can't I see him?" He was near tears.

"Matthew, I--" he started, then saw Daphne enter.

"I'm sorry, Matthew," she said. "That's what started this whole thing today. Alvin had stopped by to let you know that..." she hesitated. "I'm sorry, Matthew. Rabbi, he--he passed this morning."

"_What?!" _father and son shouted in unison.

Matt dropped into the chair beside the bed, visibly shaking.

"Matt?" Daphne asked. "I'm sorry, are you okay?"

"Both in one day," he mumbled, wiping a hand over his mouth.

"What? Matt, what happened?"

He looked up at her. "I just came from dad's room," he said quietly, fresh tears filling his eyes. He couldn't bring himself to finish, but Daphne understood.

"Oh, honey!" she said, hugging him.

Matthew spoke up. "I'm sorry, you just told me the only father figure I've known is dead and you're comforting _him_? What's--"

Matt interrupted the young man. "Matthew...son...your grandfather...he--he gave up his life to save you today," he explained somberly. "I didn't know about Rabbi. He--he and your grandmother...they were very close. I considered him a step-father, I guess," he explained. "That's why your mother left you with him that weekend."

"What are you saying?"

"I've lost two fathers today," Matt choked out, then grabbed his son's hand. "But I found a son, again. Not a fair trade, but I don't want to lose you, again." He forced a smile.

"I-I'm sorry. I didn't know," he said quietly.

"That's alright, Matthew," Matt consoled him. "There was nothing we could do about Rabbi passing, but there is still something we can do for him now."

"There's--there's a prayer, right?" he asked.

Matt nodded. "Kaddish. I already said it for my father. Do you want to say one for Rabbi?"

"I-I really don't remember how it goes," he apologized.

"Neither did I, but a friend helped me," he said. "Do you want me to help you remember?"

"I-I guess?" he nodded.

"Open your mind a moment," Matt told him. Matthew gave him a curious look. Matt smiled and placed his hand on the side of his son's head. "Just listen," he said and bowed his head a moment. "_Kaddish_ _d'Rabbanan."_

Father and son then began chanting together.

_Yitgaddal v'yitqaddash sh'meh rabba B''al'ma di v'ra' khiruteh v'yamlikh malkhuteh v'yatzmach purqaneh viqarev m'shicheh b'chayekhon uvyomekhon uvchaye d'khol bet yisra'el b''agala uvizman qariv v''imru amen._

_y'he sh'meh rabba m'varakh l' 'alam ul'al'me 'al'maya Yitbarakh v'yishtabbach v'yitpa'ar v'yitromam v'yitnasse v'yithaddar v'yit'alle v'yithallal sh'meh d'qudsha, b'rikh hu. L 'ella mikkol min kol birkhata __v'shirata tushb'chata v'nechemata da'amiran b'al'ma v''imru amen._

_'__al yisra'el v''al rabbanan v''al talmidehon v'?al kol talmidey talmidehon v''al kol ma'an d''os'kin b''orayta __di b''atra haden v'di b'khol atar v''atar __y'he l'hon ulkhon sh'lama rabba __chinna v'chisda v'rachamey v'chayyey arikhey __umzoney r'vichey ufurqana __min qodam avuhon di vishmayya v''ar?a v''imru amen._

_Titqabbal tz'lot'hon uva'ut'hon d'khol bet yisra'el __qodam avuhon di bishmayya, v''imru amen._

_Y'he sh'lama rabba min sh'mayya v'chayyim tovim v'sava vishu'a v'nechama v'shezava urfu'a ug'ulla uslicha v'khappara v'revach v'hatzzala lanu ulkhol 'ammo yisra'el v''imru amen. 'ose shalom bimromav hu b'rachamav ya'ase shalom ?alenu __v'?al kol yisra'el, v''imru amen._

Neither Molly nor Daphne understood a word, but they were both moved by the sad tone in the men's voices. They were both near tears when they heard the final "Amen".

Matt kissed his son on the forehead. "I love you, Matthew. Don't ever forget that."

Molly and Daphne quietly excused themselves as Matt and Matthew silently bonded over their shared losses and reunion.

When Matthew finally dozed off, Matt wondered how long his recovery would be, if they could even recover any of the lost years. What if, by doing so, they only invited another episode of the dark persona that Matt was vaguely aware of due to his now semi-recovered fuzzy memories. Hell, how had he even recovered those memories to begin with? Was it part of Matthew's power? Another of Arthur's hidden talents? Even today's events were a bit hazy.

"Matt?"

Matt was shaken out of his reverie to see Jane Sinclair standing on the other side of his son's bed.

"They've taken your father down to the m--" she started, but saw Matt tense up and swallow hard. "They've taken him downstairs. They'll need to talk to you about what you want to do next."

Matt nodded grimly and looked back to Matthew.

"You're worried about him?"

Matt nodded again.

"You're worried about what might happen if he remembers what occurred? Will that draw Arthur back? Will he want to destroy the world again?" She approached Matthew's bed, opposite Matt.

He gave another grim nod.

"It wouldn't be fair to Matthew if he was kept in the dark about everything," she said. Matt looked up at her.

"Nor would it be fair to the world to let him try to destroy it," she continued.

"What would you have us do, then?" he asked sharply.

"The easy way out is going back in time and preventing Arthur Petrelli from ever possessing your son."

Matt's jaw clenched as he considered this option. "And how much would change if we did that? Would I still have my sons? What about my daughter? How would that affect the rest of the world? What if Arthur possesses someone more powerful? Peter or--"

"Matthew," she cut him off. "This is one of the reasons you're in charge," she said to his look of astonishment. "You actually think about these things, worry about it to death. (Sorry. Pardon the pun.) Some people, when put in a position like yours, with a power like yours--"

"Power corrupts," Matt replied. "Another Hitler. or Arthur Petrelli. What if Nathan had followed his father's footsteps, stayed in politics instead of leaving it to run Pinehearst and help others like us, what then?"

"You saw a future like that, once upon a time," she replied. "Hiro and Peter saw futures like that, too, and tried to stop them."

"Hiro's 'Save the cheerleader' mission? And when I first saw Daphne?" he asked. She nodded in reply. "But we stopped that oppression, didn't we?"

Jane smiled. "Some things can't be changed, Matt. Only held off until a later date."

He considered her words. "Barstow?" he asked. She nodded. "Peter said he and Gabriel discussed it when it happened. Peter had told him what had happened in that future in Costa Verde, the one where Daphne died, that they had no right to go back and prevent Barstow from happening, even at the cost of--" Matt caught himself, then looked down at Matthew again. "Even at the cost of those closest to us." His throat closed up. "Like Janice," he choked out.

Jane nodded.

Matt took a deep breath. "So what's the hard way?"

"Working through it, one day at a time, until the time comes that you know you've accomplished what you set out to do."

"How long will that take?"

She smiled. "The same as everything else. The rest of your lives."

Matt frowned. "There's no middle ground? Help him recover some of his memories so he can function as an adult? Hell, I barely remember much of Diana's life, and that's half of what he's lost."

"Matthew...." she said in a warning tone.

He was still looking at his son. "Sorry, I just wanted it to be easier on him, that's all."

"You really are that selfless, aren't you, Matthew Hiram Parkman?"

Matt fought back a smile as he felt his cheeks warm in embarrassment. "After everything that's happened, I just don't want him to suffer."

Jane reached over and put one hand on the side of Matt's head and the other on Matthew's.

"Rest now, brave soul."

When Matt awoke, she was gone. He looked around to see Matthew staring up at him with a smile on his face.

"Hi, Dad. Long time, no see."

Matt's head was still spinning, but he was sure of one thing. "Matthew?"

"Whatever you did, it worked."

He raised an eyebrow. "uh...what did I did?"

"I remember." He tilted his head, thinking. "Kinda. There are some gaps, but I think I remember most of the last decade, with some things given understanding. or context. or...whatever."

"uh, what?"

"It's like waking up from a bad dream," he explained. "I know some things happened, and why, and I know it's not really my fault, that Arthur used me, used my power and rage to fight you."

Matt stared at his son.

"Dad?"

"Bad dream? More like a nightmare," he finally replied. "I missed you, son," he said, leaning over to kiss Matthew on the head again. "Just one thing?"

"What?"

Matt smiled. "Call me 'dad' again."

* * *

The next two days were spent making funeral arrangements for Maury as well as coordinating with Alvin over his father's, as well as making sure all three boys were stabilized after their traumas. Matt claimed he was fine and pressed on.

Matt insisted Matthew be there for Rabbi's services if he had to throw him over a shoulder and carry him around all day, himself. Alvin was touched, Daphne was amused, Matthew was embarrassed, and Doctor Smith finally signed off after Iason promised to stay close, just in case of a relapse. They finally compromised on a wheelchair, which Matthew insisted he didn't need, but still found himself a bit wobbly when trying to walk.

"You know, I can't thank you enough for helping us out, saving my son's life the other day," Matt finally confided to the Greek healer after all was said and done.

Iason waved him off. "It was nothing, my friend," he said. "I am sure you would have helped if the situation was reversed. Remember the Battle of 2012?"

Matt chuckled to himself. "Yeah, I would have, wouldn't I? Still, thanks. I don't know what we would have done without you."

"Your father is the one who recruited me," he replied.

This caught Matt off guard. "I'm...sorry? What?"

"Your father is the one who recruited the group that saved you and your son. Didn't you know?"

Matt was speechless. "I-I...no. no, I didn't." he said softly. "My memories of the last few years are still a little fuzzy, even if I did know about this."

Iason put his hand on Matt's shoulder. "He warned us it could be a suicide mission, but we knew the consequences if we didn't stop him."

Matt considered this for a moment. "Would...would you have...if it came to that? K-killed my son, I mean."

Iason shook his head. "That was always your call, Matt. Your father told us we were basically to run interference, and the final decision was always up to you."

"And what if he had killed me first? What then?"

"Then it was Maury's call," he said. "Again, we were merely interference and back-up if it came to that."

"Noah would have put him down," Matt said matter of factly. "I know he would."

"Bennet? He was warned to follow your lead, that was why Ms. Hanson was brought in, to make sure he behaved."

"Audrey was Noah's handler?" he laughed. "That's funny." He mulled over what he had learned a minute. "Thanks for being honest and thanks for being there for my family, Iason. I'll never forget it."

"Peace be with you and your family, Matt Parkman," he said shaking Matt's hand goodbye.

"And with you, Iason Galifianakis," Matt replied.

* * *

It was two weeks later that all the boys were home and things were beginning to return to a normal routine in the Parkman household. Matt found himself sitting on the back porch steps with Daphne, watching the sun set.

"What are you thinking about, Matt?" she asked.

Matt shrugged. "Nothing much. Just enjoying a quiet evening with my wife, watching the evening sun go down." He glanced down at her, gave her a small hug. "Why do you ask?"

She looked up at his chocolate brown eyes. "You're in a mood. There's still something bugging you about what happened, isn't there?"

"Nah, I'm good," he said.

Daphne raised an eyebrow. "but...?"

"But what?" he protested. "There's nothing to 'but' about!"

"Matt, I've been married to you for how long?" Daphne rolled her eyes. "There's nothing wrong except...?"

Matt sighed. "Ok, how did he know who to recruit for his cavalry? He couldn't have done that alone."

Daphne smiled. "He had help. From Jane."

"Jane?" Matt asked. "Who's Jane?"

A look of concern spread across Daphne's face. "You're not funny, Matt." She got up and stormed inside.

"What? I don't remember any 'Jane'!" he protested. He hung his face in his hands, then looked up into the twilit backyard to see a woman standing there. "Who?"

"Hello, Matt," she said. A pale woman with flowing russet hair and blue-green eyes stood before him, dressed in loose shimmering green garments with a blue-white silken wrap around her shoulders. Matt was reminded of pictures Mohinder had shown him of his family in India.

"Jane, I presume?" he asked, sending a small mental pulse to her, but he couldn't feel her mind.

She smiled. "Yes," she said as she sat down on the porch step next to Matt. She brushed her russet hair off her shoulder and turned to him. "You don't remember me?"

Matt shook his head. "Daphne said you helped my dad organize the rescue operation?"

She smiled again. "I did more than that, Matthew."

He raised an eyebrow.

"I've been with you a long time, you just chose a different path than you should have, and don't remember me."

"I'm sorry, what?"

"Once upon a time," she said. "Isn't that how all stories begin?"

Matt had no idea what she was talking about.

"In the hospital, we talked. I helped your son recover his memories."

Matt stared at her as if in a dream. "That was you?"

She nodded. "We discussed how the actions we take affect the lives of everyone around us."

Matt shook his head. "You lost me."

"Barstow."

It took Matt a second, then he remembered their conversation. "I'm sorry, my mind--my memory is still swiss cheese on some stuff, but...we talked about that, right?"

She nodded.

"We talked about how Peter and Gabriel discussed going back in time, changing things to how we think they should be?"

"And how Nathan chose to help his own kind instead of embracing the path Arthur laid out for him."

Matt tried to grasp this. "So...what are you saying?"

She gave him a sad smile. "Once upon a time--"

"--Nathan never left politics," he finished. He understood the implication. "Then what happened?"

"He turned against you. All of you. Turned you all over to the government. You and your friends were rounded up, headed for a concentration camp. You were to be 'rehabilitated', or so the plan went."

Matt's face was grim. "What happened?"

She smiled again. "As is always the case, you and your friends had other ideas, turned the tables."

"and...?"

She smiled at him. "Spoilers."

Matt grunted, glared out into the darkening yard. "If you're not going to tell me, why did you even start?"

"Tell me, Matthew, would you really give up your life to protect your family?" She nodded towards the house.

He looked at her a moment.

"I already know the answer, Matthew. Do you?"

Matt sighed, nodded. "If the cause was right. If I could save my family by sacrificing my own life." She raised an eyebrow, waiting for him to finish. "Yes. Yes, I would."

"I asked your father the same thing."

"And?"

"His reply was the same. To save you and your family, he was willing to sacrifice his own life."

"And he did," Matt said solemnly. "All those years I was mad at him. He abandoned us, and yet he still gave up his life to save mine. To save my family."

"He loved you, you know. You and your children."

Matt nodded. After a moment's silence, he asked, "Is there a point you're trying to make?"

"Once upon a time, Matthew."

Matt stared off into the yard. "You want me to go back and change things, is that it?"

"Yes and no," she replied. Matt looked at her. "I'm only giving you fair warning. This world, this timeline. It was never supposed to happen."

"What? Why?" Matt exclaimed. "We've done good! We've saved the world I don't know how many times over! Everything's turned out great for everyone! Sure, there's a few bad apples out there, but there always are!" he protested.

She gave him a sad smile. "I'm sorry, Matthew. This isn't what was supposed to happen."

Matt stood up. "NO! This _did_ happen! This _IS_ how things are supposed to be! You can't change that! It's not right!"

"Matthew, Matthew, _Matthew_, please," she begged him. "The decision has already been made. This timeline must end so the true one can exist. You weren't supposed to go to Pinehearst with Daphne. You weren't supposed to sway Nathan to do the right thing and help him become a shining example for the rest of your brethren."

"So you're saying because I _didn't_ act, the future that was _supposed_ to happen will be worse off? Is that it?"

"Matthew--"

"No. _NO!" _Matt protested. He jumped up and tried to run past her into the house. He found his way blocked.

"I am sorry, Matthew," the man said in a calm, knowing voice. He was dressed in worn, sand-dusted clothes. His skin dark as night. A walking stick across his shoulders.

"Who? I-I know y...Usutu?" Matt asked in disbelief. "What's going on here?"

"Time to wake up, Parkman," he said. He whipped his staff down and blocked Matt as he tried to push past the African seer into his house. Usutu swept Matt's feet, knocking him to the porch floor.

"NO!" Matt protested. "DAPHNE! MATTHEW! KIDS!" he shouted, mentally searching the house for them. Nothing. "NO!"

"Oh, please. Do behave yourself, Detective Parkman," came a cool voice behind him. Matt spun and saw Angela Petrelli leaning against the rail, prim and proper as always. She looked the same as the day they first met, in New York City.

"What? Angela? But you're--?"

"Dead?" she replied, calmly. "Or are you buying the story your father, Maury," she said the name with obvious disgust, "told you? That I'm your dear old mother?"

"What's going on here?" he demanded.

Jane came up to him, putting her hand on his shoulder. Matt shied away from her.

"I'm sorry, Matthew," she consoled him. "I told you, this timeline must end so the true one can take it's place. It's how things must be."

"Says who?" he demanded, throwing her off, looking for an escape from the trio surrounding him. "This is another one of Arthur's tricks, isn't it, Angela?" he accused.

"I'm afraid not, Detective," she replied.

"Then who's? Maury's?" he spat back. "DAD! Come on out! I know this is all your doing!" he shouted.

"I'm sorry, Matty, but it's not."

Matt spun as his father stepped out of the shadows and onto the porch beside Angela. He looked younger than Matt was.

"I knew it! Cut it out, Dad! Stop this, right now!" Matt yelled.

A sad expression crossed Maury's face. "It's too late, Matty. I'm sorry, boy." He reached out to his son.

Matt stepped back, brushing against Usutu as he found himself blocked in against the back of his house. "STOP IT! You're all dead! This isn't real!" He dropped to his knees, clutching his head.

"But it is," Jane said, placing her hands on his face, drawing it up.

Matt looked into her eyes. "Please?" he pleaded. "I can't lose them again! I can't take it if I do!"

Jane kissed the tears streaming down his cheek. "You will remember them. In your dreams. In your heart."

"Be the brave one, Matthew," Angela said behind him.

He felt his father's hands grip his shoulders. "I love you, boy."

Matt grasped at the hand, but felt it melt away. "NO!"

Darkness.

* * *

Matt woke to darkness.

"NO!" he screamed. "It's not fair! We were happy! Everything was supposed to be that way!"

The darkness consumed him.

"PLEASE!"

Nothing.

"_please!_ I'm begging you!"

Darkness.

"It can't end this way! It can't!"

Emptiness.

"it can't!_ please!_"

He slumped to his knees, crying.

"Matt?"

He looked around. Still nothing.

"Matthew?"

"Who's there? Who are you?"

"We're here! Over here! Come back to us!"

He had no sense of direction. No clue where the voice(s?) was coming from, nor who was behind it.

"Where? Where are you?" he called out.

"Matt, please come back to us!"

"Where are you?"

"Matt! Wake up!"

"What?"

"Wake up, Matt!"

Matt opened his eyes. The light flooded in. Too bright. His body felt heavy, like it was buried in cement.

"Wh'rr?" his voice was sore. The word hurt like sandpaper over glass.

"He's awake! He's awake!" The voice shouted.

High pitched. Girl. Who?

"Mohinder, he's awake!"

Molly? _NO! _Oh god, please no! I can't go all through this again!

"Matthew?" came the soothing English-educated Indian lilt.

"M'nder?" he sputtered.

"Yes, Matthew. How do you feel?" he asked.

Like my soul has been ripped to shreds, he thought.

"P'chy," he managed to finally say. "Whap'n? Where?"

"Take it easy, Matthew," Mohinder replied, offering him a sip of ice water.

Glacial cold on sandpaper over broken glass, he thought as he choked a sip down. You're a sadist, Professor, he thought.

"You're in the hospital. Everything's going to be okay," he said.

Why don't I believe you? he thought.

"Whap'n?" he asked again. "Wh'day izzit?"

"Saturday," came the soft chuckle.

"Sh'bas," Matt muttered. The glare was clearing into something Matt could finally recognize, like the bronzed tone of his friend's face. There was a dusting of grey in those dark locks. That was good, right? "Year? Wh'z Year?"

Mohinder sighed. "Mat_thew_," he said in a familiar stern tone.

"Wh'year?" Matt forced again through the sandpaper/glass in his throat.

"Your family is here," he said, making way for his friend's progeny. "Make it quick."

Matt looked down to see a slip of a girl bound into the room. "M'ly?"

"I'm here, Dad," came a voice. Not the girl's voice, but that of an adult woman. Matt looked up.

A very worry-weary Daphne followed the young girl into the room, another woman followed her, who looked more-than-vaguely familiar. Three young men followed. Matt laid eyes on the eldest and smiled. He was the spitting image of his father, except for his mother's eyes. The pair behind him looked more like their mother, but he could still see his own features in their faces.

"I missed you guys," he choked out. He didn't care how much it hurt, he smiled broadly at the assembled group before him.

"You got lucky, mister," Daphne told him sternly.

Matt raised an eyebrow as Diana settled herself on her father's bed.

_I'm already lucky_, he thought back at her. _I have you guys._

"And we're the ones who pulled your sorry ass away," she informed him. "Seems Arthur left behind a little present, 'just in case.' Matthew remembered it seconds before it went off, I barely had time to get the kids out and caught you as it went off."

_What?_

"You got knocked upside the head by exploding timber from the porch, Matt. You've been unconscious for three days," she continued.

Matt smirked as a giggling but stern-faced Diana held three fingers up to her father.

"Luckily, Claire's blood still works on you," Mohinder said. "Turns out you were building up an immunity to it."

Matt frowned.

Matthew took his father's hand. "We've been taking turns waiting for you to wake up," he said. "Looks like we finally managed to drag you back to the land of the living, dad."

_Matthew? _he thought, squeezing his son's hand tight.

"Yeah, dad?"

_I love you, guys, don't ever forget that._

"We love you, too, daddy!" Diana squealed.

Mohinder spoke up. "Okay, now that we know he's alive, he still needs his rest. Everybody out! It's bad enough the nurses are saying this family needs it's own wing of late. Come on, let your father rest." He began ushering the group out, starting with the twins. They exchanged smiles and nods with their father before leaving. Daphne went for a quick kiss as Molly lifted a protesting Diana from the bed. She ran out after her brothers, as Daphne sighed and gave chase. Matt grabbed Matthew's hand before he could leave.

_Hold up a minute, son._

"What is it, dad?" he asked.

Matt glanced at Mohinder, who gave him an 'ignore me' glance in return and busied himself with a chart in the corner.

_Do you remember a 'Jane' helping us free you?_

Matthew thought a minute. "Vaguely. Why?"

_I could swear she visited me. Told me this timeline wasn't meant to be. Do you remember what she was capable of?_

"Not really. I thought she was one of the psychic rescue squad?"

"Who?" Mohinder piped up.

"Jane," Matthew answered. "Do you remember her, Doctor Suresh?"

"Only vaguely," he replied. "Almost as if we weren't supposed to remember her when the rescue ended?"

_Thanks for nothing, Professor_, Matt chided him.

"I do seem to recall that your father always deferred to her when making major decisions about what to do?" he offered.

_Just how long were you guys planning this rescue operation, anyway? _Matt asked.

"um, a couple years?" Mohinder said, bashfully. "We weren't allowed to remember our strategy sessions, in case Arthur was eavesdropping on us, telepathically."

"Makes sense," Matthew offered.

_A couple _years_? I am offended, Professor!_

"And I am in control of your medication, Mister Parkman, so behave yourself and thank me before I send you off to dreamland for another week!"

_ImSorryThankyoueversomuchforsavingmyfatassProfessor!_

Mohinder rubbed his temple at the assault. "You better be, Matthew," he chided and left the man with his son.

"So, you said she decided this timeline was...wrong?"

_As far as I could tell. I argued with her, then some...old faces from my past showed up to take her side._

"Old faces?"

_People who went to their peace years ago. A man I met around the time you were born, Usutu, who showed me the path to Daphne. Angela Petrelli, and your grandfather, Maury._

"Sounds to me like she conjured them, probably from your subconscious," Matthew suggested.

_People who she thought I would listen to? Or were they really the spirits of those people?_

"There are a handful of spirit talkers out there, aren't there, dad?"

_Yes, but none that were able to manifest actual spirits themselves. My father touched me, Usutu knocked me down. Besides, I seem to recall she helped heal your mind after we drove Arthur out? It's like trying to remember a dream long after you've woken up when I think about her._

"Was that how I remembered everything?"

Matt shrugged.

"Looking for me?"

Both men turned to see Jane standing in the doorway.

"_What do you want?" _they both shouted at her, verbally and mentally.

She smiled. "To apologize."

Father and son shared a wary look.

"I gave you a chance to go back and make things right, Matthew," she said, looking at Matt. "You argued your point. I refused to see it. You fought me with everything you had to keep this world the way it was."

_And now what are you going to do about it? _he asked, defiantly.

She smiled again. "Don't worry. I'm no longer allowed to change anything here," she said. "Well, actually, I did repair your porch. Again. This time _was_ my fault," she gave a small grimace. "Thanks for covering me, Matthew," she winked at the younger Parkman before turning to his father. "You're also welcome for rebuilding your house the other week, Matthew. You had to sit _shiva_ for Maury and Asher somewhere."

"Who are you? Who do you work for?" Matthew asked, realizing he had been used once again.

She laid a hand on his chest. "I apologize for making you cover for me, Matthew. You may know me as Jane Sinclair," she informed him as his heart and mind swelled with peace and...music? "As for who I work for?" She gave a small laugh and looked down at Matt. "Let's just say, I work for a Higher Power than even you do, Director Parkman."

_What exactly are you implying? _

She smiled at him again, leaned down to kiss his forehead. "You'll learn the truth one day, Matthew. Everyone will."

Matt could feel his wounds heal, his energy returning. "Wait! Are you--?"

"You already know the answer. I'm like you, Matthew," she said as she headed for the door. "I'm a Keeper of the Faith. A Brave Defender of the Innocent. I know what's Good and Right."

Father and son shared a knowing look as she left.

"I'm one of the Heroes."

* * *

The End....?


End file.
